• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Speaking/Writing
    • Media
  • Videos
  • Contact

Gindi Vincent

The Dish on Career, Fashion, Faith, and Family

Working Women Wear-Down

July 18, 2013 by Gindi 10 Comments

The gray clouds hung low as rain fell all morning long.  Despite the weather, I still made it into the office before 8 am.  Achievement one for the day given the laundry list of meetings and events crowding my calendar.  Still, it was one of those days.  And as I rushed out to a women’s lunch where I had to serve as host, I hoped for the best.

Part self-fulfilling prophesy, part inevitability, simply getting to the club unraveled.  The parking garage for the club was full; despite my early arrival the rain had driven the masses into covered parking.  After roaming one way downtown streets, I found another garage and set out to find the club from a new direction.  Once I got directions from a sympathetic security guard, I arrived at the elevator banks only to have them only go the wrong way.  I walked across the way to another set of elevators only to have none arrive.  I ran up the back set of stairs to the club, but when I arrived at the top the door was locked.  Down I ran back to an elevator bank in hope of finding a way in.  Wet, frazzled, and late, I finally arrived.  Everyone was having similar experiences and trickling in.

After the speaker closed and I dismissed the audience, I stayed for a few minutes to visit with friends.  With only minutes for each of us to spare, snippets from our conversations sounded like this:

“I’m good, fine.  Tired.  Traveling for two months…”

“Such a surprise to get to come.  One meeting released early and tomorrow I head to X city and fly from there to Y city Friday.”

“I can’t make the meeting next week, there’s just so much on the agenda I can’t fit it all in.  That had to give.”

“It’s fine.  Long nights, but that’s what it is, right?  Maybe I’ll be able to get out in time for the social next week.”

We all nodded our headed knowingly, wearily.  Single or married.  Mothers or daughters.  30 or 40 or some other undisclosed number.

It’s more frenzied now, right?  The technology, the work hours, the family calendars packing up.  I realized this week that I didn’t have a 2014 calendar yet and I needed one.  Really?

It’s all good.  Everyone is grateful for and enjoying their jobs, their families, their awards and achievements… it’s just A LOT.  All at the same time.

I don’t have any wise solution as I leave my house before 6:30 am to head to an out of town meeting and hope to be home for a late dinner with the kids.  I did hear someone say the other day that we have to stop glorifying busyness.  Saying ‘I’m so busy!’ like it’s a prize.  I could get on board with that.  Instead, we reward the person who says, ‘I completely relaxed this weekend and didn’t do one single solitary thing but sleep in with the family.’

In the meantime, I know that God says he provides rest for the weary soul (Isaiah/Matthew) and will refresh and strengthen the weary (Jeremiah).  I hold onto that at the center of the really busy times.  I know that at least we’re recognizing the frenzy for what it is.  I know we’re setting limits where we can.  (And if you’re not, start that!)  And I know that we’re all in this together to encourage one another on and even swap kid or errand duties on Saturday afternoon so we can sneak in a nap.

Filed Under: Women

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristin Smith says

    July 18, 2013 at 8:26 am

    I have had a similar post brewing for months about glorifying being busy….thanks for this! 🙂

    Reply
    • Gindi says

      July 18, 2013 at 9:22 am

      Thanks Kristin – so many of us are struggling with it

      Reply
  2. Anita Barksdale says

    July 18, 2013 at 9:45 am

    Great post Gindi! I have been thinking about that since we last spoke. Through outer research (Google) and some inner reasearch (my soul), I have found a book that I am using to provide a mirror examination for my busy-ness. It’s called “Boundaries in Human Relationships: How to Be Separate and Connected.” I would love to be all things to all people, but I need to determine for myself how to set my boundaries and remain connected to God and to people and experiences that grow me and give me life.

    Reply
    • Gindi says

      July 18, 2013 at 1:28 pm

      Love this Anita – and need to read that! Insight helps…

      Reply
  3. Amy says

    July 18, 2013 at 10:57 am

    Wonderful to read exactly what I feel on a daily basis…

    Reply
  4. Amy says

    July 18, 2013 at 10:58 am

    Exactly what I feel on a daily basis…thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
    • Gindi says

      July 18, 2013 at 1:25 pm

      Thanks Amy – we’re all in this together 🙂

      Reply
  5. Cheryl says

    July 18, 2013 at 1:43 pm

    Thank you for yet again writing something that provides a moment of peace and sanity in my life. Your writing style is so effective and your words are always encouraging and helpful.

    Reply
    • Gindi says

      July 18, 2013 at 7:58 pm

      Thanks Cheryl – I think it helps me as much as anything to know there’s a community of us 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Fashion Fridays: The View from Three and a Half Feet says:
    July 19, 2013 at 8:20 am

    […] of Fashion Fridays.  But the reality is, I’m fried (if you didn’t pick up on that from yesterday).  So today’s Fashion Friday is fashion advice from my three year old budding fashionista […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

        

Welcome

Come on in. I have a reservation just for you. I know life is busy. I would love for us to step out for a relaxing lunch but schedules don't always allow. So let's pop open that salad or sandwich sitting in front of our computers, and we'll have lunch right here. A few minutes is all we need to connect to community.

Read More

Subscribe by Email

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @JustGindi

What’s on the Menu

  • Bible Studies
  • Dreams
  • Faith
  • Family
  • Fashion Fridays
  • Flashback Fridays
  • Leadership
  • Marriage
  • Our Story
  • Random
  • Recipes
  • Sister Stories
  • Women
  • Wordless Wed

Archives

Copyright © 2012-2019 Gindi Vincent · All rights reserved. · Site by Design by Insight