Being a mother is a 24/7 job where your boss is a tiny person who rules like a dictator with no care for your own personal well-being. It is the only job where your employer truly could care less how much sleep you got, if you are sick, if you recently had a death in the family, if you need to go to the bathroom or if you are in the middle of throwing up. There is no union to fight for vacation days, health care, or paid time leave. You are not allowed to take a 15 minute lunch break, coffee break or potty break. (Unless you don’t mind your tiny boss standing with you in the bathroom asking you why you wipe your bottom THAT WAY).

Last night I sat at a table with a lovely woman from Ireland and discussed the various interpretations of Macbeth, how all great literature has sex and violence in it and the best authors are addicted to opium or are mentally insane. This is what I love about my job. For 8 hours yesterday I got to talk to people about how I cry at the end of Othello EVERY TIME I read it and nobody in the room thought I was strange. I discussed the benefits of teaching Henry V over the Tempest and how Henry fits beautifully into the transition from epic hero to modern hero and nobody thought I was being a snob. For twenty hours a week I get to be the Beth that worked really hard to earn her Masters degree in a subject that she is passionate about. For twenty hours I am MY OWN boss.

When my school day is over I find myself racing home. What have the kids been doing? What have they been saying? What did they eat? What did they play with? What did they discover? Did they learn anything new? I’m panicked that I might have missed something. When I walk in the door and the kids squeal in delight at my arrival I realize why being a mom is such a good gig. Teaching keeps me grateful. Teaching keeps me patient. Teaching makes me appreciate the little dictators that rule my life.