catapult magazine

My own time

by Joye Briggs

Over the past few years, I have typically commuted from home to a job in a larger community. My husband and I have chosen to make our home in a smaller community, but one of the drawbacks is the limited job opportunities available here. Fortunately, I’ve found that the job market is better in the larger community about 30 minutes north of our home.

My co-workers are often amazed at how far I commute, until we compared notes. Some co-workers live a shorter distance in terms of miles from work, but traffic, stoplights and other factors mean their commute time is similar.

When I first became a mom, I stressed about the commute time, until I realized an unexpected blessing. During the commute, I am in a car by myself. I am not a mom, nor am I an employee. It is my time. During that time, I can listen to the music of my choice, or spend that time solving a problem, planning or just decompressing. It’s also a time I can fellowship with my Lord and Savior or reflect on a scripture passage.

A short while after I became a mom, I took a job in my hometown. I was excited about the shorter commute time, until I realized a huge drawback. With a commute time of only five minutes, I had no time to de-stress or mentally change roles from worker to mom. The short commute actually increased my stress level.

I’ve once again taken a job with a longer commute. Fortunately, my kids are now old enough that we no longer require daycare. Spending an extra 20 minutes at work at the end of the day allows me to leave after rush hour traffic and enjoy a more relaxing drive home. With less traffic, I actually get home only a few minutes later, and find myself more relaxed in the process.

I celebrate my commute time, as it is my own time, and appreciate the blessings of that time away from work and parenting.