The Simple Life

STK landed a job over the weekend. Before we left Colorado, she contacted a gallery here in SMT that needed some part-time help. While that position didn't pan out, the owner of the gallery put STK in touch with the owners of a frame shop. A few weeks after saying "hi" to the owners, she has a job. Most importantly, the hours are completely flexible; STK can, within reason, set her own schedule. That's important to us as we want to minimize daycare hours for The Little One. So, STK will work when I'm at home and I'll work when STK is at home. As we do have one 1/2 hour period when our schedules will overlap twice a week, we have someone lined up to watch TLO. We think he'll do okay.

Rather than celebrating STK's new venture, one of her family members offered criticism as she is wont to do. This family member believes the position is "beneath" STK. Instead, STK should be substitute teaching in the local school district. Uh, except that substituting would mean long daycare hours for TLO, that's a great idea! When STK and I talked about having a child, we made the decision to do whatever we could to be involved parents. For us that means minimizing daycare hours. Had we stayed in Colorado, STK would have kept her job in the local school district and I would have done adjunct teaching in the evenings. When I landed my position, one that entailed moving to an area with a much lower cost of living, we decided STK would adjust her work schedule. The critical family member (CFM) doesn't seem to understand our commitment to our child. Unless I miss my guess, CFM thinks STK is giving up her career for home and family.

We took a short hike Sunday afternoon and discussed CFM's criticism and our plan for the future. Unless a teaching position presents itself, STK and I will continue to balance work with TLO until he reaches school age. Will we have a ton of money? No. Will we have enough to get by and a bit to put aside? Yes. Will we be happy? Exceedingly so, I think. We love our life and the direction it's headed. We're both far less stressed than we've been in years. We get to enjoy each other's company, spend tons of time together, and actually participate in the upbringing of our child. Ultimately, we decided CFM just doesn't get it. She's more concerned with what people think of her than she is about her own personal happiness. Personally, I think she's a deeply unhappy person. I guess what bothers me the most about CFM's comments isn't her readiness to be critical of STK's decision, but the belief that she should be critical at all.