spark joy (of missing out)

I can’t believe a whole month off 2019 has just breezed by. Tomorrow, we will be waking up to a brand new one: February, one of my favorites.

My son is halfway through his third month, and I find myself wishing for the proverbial freeze frame button (Surely, there has to be one tucked somewhere??).

Hours and days trickle down in silence. Weeks fly off the shelves like a cult-favorite bag of chips. Moms warn about the days being long and the years being short. In my case, though, any given period of time always seems to be a bit too short. There’s always something to do that makes me practically lose track of time. With or without a baby, it takes a lot to get me bored. I think the last time I got bored was during the summer afternoons of my pre-internet, pre-smartphone high school days.

Last July, I said goodbye to my corporate day job  (well, technically September, since I was offered a two-month extension under a very favorable work-from-home setup) to focus on the baby in the immediate months preceding his birth and right after. I just knew the standard 60-day maternity leave won’t cut it — and I was right!

But as much as I love spending most of my time with my son, I also know that I need to get working soon. Gaah. Just thinking about it triggers separation anxiety! According to the plan, it’s time to go back to the salt mines sometime in  February or March…which is officially now starting tomorrow. Again and again and to state the obvious: Ang biliiiiiis!

Recently I started taking on writing assignments (and trawling Instagram feeds for work wardrobe revamp purposes, hehe) to gradually get me to turn on my work mode. Although my next employment is still under wraps, there’s no denying this: My extended “maternity leave” will soon come to an end. Cue mom guilt (but that’s an entry for another day…)

It feels like my life has been somewhat on hold for the time being, if only because I’m not out there hustling hard. Hence, that sense of missing out. But instead of glorifying the fear associated with it, I fully support the genius behind the concept JOMO (joy of missing out).

My quiet, non-working days these recent weeks have been conducive to spending time outdoors with my son: soaking up the early morning sun and strolling around the village right before sunset. On some days, I run errands and meet friends for brunch or coffee. (There really is something subtly luxurious about weekday catch-ups at daytime!)

These are some of the things that spark joy (of missing out) in my life right now: