The Most Demanding Job

Seriously.

I am holding on for dear life.

I am trying my hardest.

I am doing my absolute best!

This is the most demanding job that I have ever taken on.

My days take more mental strength and determination than they have at any other job I have ever had in my life.

You see, in my line of work there are no sick days, paid vacations, or workers’ comp guidelines. Leave of absences are out of the question! Hell, if I injure myself at work, my only option is to cuss under my breath for a few seconds and throw a bandage on it! I don’t get a paycheck. There is no employee of the month award. I won’t get a promotion any time soon, but I am okay with that. My bosses seem like ruthless savages, expecting me to meet their every need at a moment’s notice. They rarely say thank you, despite the fact I am constantly cleaning up their messes. There are no janitors to pick up the workspace, that duty falls on me. My bosses may seem a bit tyrannical at times, but even if I mess up, they won’t fire me. I am stuck in this position for the foreseeable future. Sometimes, it feels like my bosses don’t listen to or understand me. I often have to repeat myself over and over to get them to finally cooperate with me. I have no insurance, no 401k plan, no Christmas bonuses. I barely get a lunch break. Any break I DO get goes by too quickly to do anything for myself. The hours are long. So long that they seem never-ending. My days begin at the crack of dawn, and end well after the sun goes down. I am on call all hours of the night, as well. The commute is short, at least. The only travel I am required to do is running errands for my bosses, but there are a LOT of errands. I tend to lose my patience sometimes. On those days, I lock myself in the bathroom and cry my eyes out. On those days, I pray my bosses don’t hear me because I hate showing them my weaknesses. Conversations at the water cooler are pretty one-sided. In fact, I am only one of two employees and, it seems, the only one working here full-time. My coworker has another job, so he isn’t able to pick up the slack as much. That means most of the daily agenda falls on my shoulders. It’s a heavy load to bear, and my bosses continuously pile more and more of a workload onto those very tired shoulders.

Am I insane for sticking around? I mean, how long could someone possibly stay at a job with these conditions? Am I out of my mind because, even though there is a clear lack of appreciation, I give my all to this job? Every ounce of who I am is reflected in the work I do. So, why am I continuing to kill myself if I get very little recognition? What will my future be like if I continue on in this crazy, mind-numbing reality? A few words come to mind.

Amazing.

Incredible.

Fulfilling.

Confused? Well, see, despite all the seemingly negative aspects of this job, the benefits are more important to my life than any other benefits I could receive elsewhere. These benefits are worth far more than any paid vacation, health insurance, or the occasional moment of peace I would receive at another job.

I AM A STAY AT HOME MOM.

I do more every day than you will ever know.