Balancing Acts

Tonight I left a networking event, at which people were talking about (among other things), the challenges of balancing work and family, to meet my kids to see a play. I did not give out any of the résumés or business cards I brought along, so I will not be remembered, except perhaps as the woman who left in the middle of one of the panelists answering a question, and perhaps by a few of the non-panelists with whom I talked before the official program.
 
Tonight I also saw a terrific play which, for an hour and a half, transported me far away from networking and figuring out what to be when I grow up. For an hour and a half, I balanced work and family by choosing family--not just my kids, but myself as well. I may have skipped out on the networking event so that they could see the show, but in the end, I was at least as happy as they were to be there. And I guess that's what people mean when they talk about balancing work and family--being able to make decisions both for the long haul and on the spot that keep your own well-being, your family's well-being, and your potential work success in mind. It's no easier, really, than balancing on one leg, but sometimes, when you follow your instincts, it just kind of works out. Tonight was one of those times. Tomorrow, I can follow up with the people I couldn't talk to tonight. Tonight, I just get to feel as though the balancing act worked.