The New York Times did an interesting (and extensively blogged about) story a few months ago about mothers who traveled on business and used it as an opportunity to regroup and recharge their batteries (albeit to Milan).
Linda at Purple is a Fruit (a ClubMom blog) has another take on the issue entirely. She wonders, sweetly, if during her five days away at a Macworld Convention in San Francisco, her 18 month old son will forget her, be scarred deeply and eventually treat his girlfriends like sh*t because of abandonment issues, or be just fine.
I was all prepared to snark away at a mom who couldn't bear to leave the little package and enjoy some me time (a`´la the fancy NYC ladies), but I find her wholly sympathetic (and totally funny). Don't you just hate that?
In all seriousness, though, here's what stopped me cold:
I will actually enjoy my time away from maternal/wifely duties and will have to be airlifted from my hotel room as I cling to the room service menu and screech at people to get away, get away, I haven't watched all the pay-per-view movies yet.
Carrying this lovely light thought to its dark conclusion, I wonder if we all don't fear this -- the enjoyment of time away -- and fear that it may lead us into the dark territory of abandonment: emotional or physical.
Sometimes I fear that my "healthy" desire for separation is a desire to leave them masked in a socially acceptable manner. But then I shake myself out of it and realize every mama needs a break now and again.
What do you think?
