Playing the Scales - Round and Round (Part Deux)

Playing the Scales - Round and Round (Part Deux)

I find that it is not the circumstances in which we are placed, but the spirit in which we face them, that constitutes our comfort. —Elizabeth T. King

SO WHEN SHOULD you consider getting up and walking around the piano bench? I suggest you and your spouse do it before one of you completely flames out in the middle of the performance. If you can plan proactively, that’s great. But sometimes life happens and situations sneak up on you.

Here are just a few areas that you might consider discussing with your mate before the next crisis hits:

At some point, the primary caregiver for the kids or aging parents, regardless of how nurturing he or she is, will—I promise you—will burn out. Trade places with him or her for one week. (Caution: please do not attempt this for more than one week at a time; I don’t want to hear that any children or elderly grandparents were broken during this brief intermission.)

Managing the finances can be extremely stressful in families with limited income. While one of you may be more mathematically gifted, at least sit together and discuss options as you pay the bills. It’s not fair for one person in the family to bear the banking alone.

Everyone in your family eats, so why should the meal planning and preparation always fall to one person? In our family, I typically plan the meals, shop the market, and prepare dinner. However, due to the extreme hours I was working during our recent consulting gig, this was out of the question. For five months, Steve planned and picked up every meal. What a blessing to come home late at night to warm food and a thoughtful husband. It was such a small thing in light of the larger business burdens he took on during that time—but nothing meant more to me.

Our professional lives can be unpredictable, volatile, and frustrating, leaving us drained of energy and desire. Before you burn out, ask your mate for help. It may be time for one of you to pick up part or a greater part of the earning burden for your family. It cannot always fall to one person to keep the household afloat. Besides, one of you might be missing out on the career of a lifetime!

I take joy in doing your will, my God,for your instructions are written on my heart. (Psalm 40:8)

Before the bench gets crowded or you get bored with the arrangement, choose to trade places—if only for one song.