The Neck

In just a few days, I am leaving town. Mark is going to Seattle and Vancouver, Canada for work and I will be joining him. Mark has wanted to take me with him each time he has traveled there for work and for one reason or another it has never worked out. Finally all the planets have aligned and I can hit the road with Mark.

That would be the upside; the down side is I have to prepare to leave. Unlike Mark, I cannot just pack a suitcase and walk out the door. I have to get everything organized for my girls and pets so that they are safe and happy while I am away. I also have to get my house clean and tidy. This week I will not only be preparing to leave, I will be preparing for the rest of my family to stay. I will be buying food and cleaning. I will also be doing laundry and packing. I have to prepare next week's calendar to keep everyone on track and I also have to keep myself on track too. I am certain that this is what all women go through when they travel, it is not unique to me, however, that does not make it any easier. It is times like these that I remember that I am the neck of the house. Mark is the head and my family is the body, and I keep them together. The head does not turn without the neck and the body is not aware of the head without the neck, I am the reason that these to completely different parts can work as one. There is a lot of preparation required for the neck to take a break.

Over the years I have learned that I am the one that gets us out the door when we travel. I make sure that all of the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. I have plans and lists that I follow so that nothing is forgotten. That's just who I am and what I do. There is a small piece of me that sometimes wishes that I could just pack my bag and head out the door like Mark does, but that would mean that my life would be different, my girls would be gone and on their own. That would also mean my purpose would be just me.

As nice and easy as that sounds, I am not quite ready for that. I like being the neck. I like being the one that turns the head and body in the right direction. Quite honestly, I have been doing this for so long now that I know I am going to have a hard time stopping. I guess the big picture is I have a few short years left to wean myself off from this job. The small picture is that it will not be that easy the neck is the most important part! It will all be worth it when I climb on that plane with Mark early Sunday morning and at that point if I did not do it, or forgot it…OH WELL!!