Leggo My Ego

I had an "aha!" moment today. I started taking tennis lessons a couple of weeks ago. I enjoy them. In fact, today, my lesson zipped by and afterwards, I realized why I'm liking this tennis thing so much. It's because twice a week, I get a pat on the back. Somebody tells me I did a good job. They show me how to do something, and most of the time, I can get in the same neighborhood of the way it's supposed to be done. Now, I'm not thinking that I'm turning into Venus or Serena anytime soon, but I do well enough to not embarrass myself or for my instructor to once in a while say: "Great shot!"

The "aha!" part of this experience is that a little ego gratification is exactly what most moms rarely get but perhaps need very much. It's like going without a hug for weeks on end. Eventually, when somebody hugs you, it feels really good. I'm not expecting applause for the laundry or a standing ovation for dinner. I understand that these are relatively mundane tasks that simply have to get done without glamour or sizzle. But once in a while, we need to know that we're good...at something. It's human nature.

When I was working "outside the home," I got these pats on the back once in a while. Perhaps it's why I waited till my son was 12 to stay home. I knew that the kudos would be few and far between...and that's O.K. It's the trade-off we make to stay home.

But now that I've figured out where to get my ego stroked a bit, I think I'll be going back for more. Tennis anyone?