A Renewed Feeling Of Gratitude

As a lawyer in private practice, I learned early on that day-to-day life with two little kids would be a tempestuous and emotional ride. When I was working in the office every day, I missed my son and daughter to the point where I'd look at pictures and watch videos regularly while munching on my lunch—does anyone else do this? During particularly busy stretches, it was not uncommon for me to miss bedtimes and even weekend family events, all the while replaying my daughter's repetitive refrain in my head where she urged me to volunteer at her school every week.

Then the pandemic hit.

As for many, it was a whirlwind in the beginning. I truly didn't know how to work at home. It felt like everyone else around me was easing into a home office and learning the ins and outs of Zoom and WebEx. Still, my single-screen laptop combined with my husband's endless (loud) conference calls and the kids' constant need for stimulation made it a discouraging experience.