Wow, as I sit down tonight to write this post I have to admit it’s not one I figured I’d write.
When Joel got offered the chance to switch to 3rd shift I thought it would be great for our family. Amazing in fact. He would be gone while we slept, and there when we all woke up. He can run on little sleep most of the time and so I knew we’d have him in full swing participating with us by lunch.
It’s true that he’s run on little sleep the past 4 days. But I’m totally worried about him. Constantly. Worried that he’ll be to tired to do his work and get hurt. Worried he’ll be too tired to drive home and fall asleep at the wheel. Worried the kids won’t be quiet enough for him to get some sleep. Just plain worried.
He’s been a real trooper. The kids have been not too bad good for the most part.
Me, well I’m doing okay. I feel horrible most of the time because I’m not letting him get enough sleep. And to say this is easy, would be a lie. I’m not used to having my husband home all day. Every day (normally) I look forward to 2:30. I then have a purpose to get stuff done, and have the house in order. The kids and I are used to having our days, and having daddy get home at 2:30. I forget that he’s here. I forget that I need to check with him before we make any plans.
We’ve been fighting quite a bit this week. It’s been tough on our marriage to say the least. This has tested us.
In the last 4 days I’ve realized this is NOT a blessing. This is NOT something I want full time. I want to have something to look forward to every day.
As I was writing up this post Joel text me. After a bit of confusion on my part I called him. I was blessed to find out that starting Monday he’ll be back on regular hours. I’m THANKFUL! Not only for the fact that we’ll have our routine back, but thankful because earlier tonight my dad informed me of his hours for the next few weeks. You see, my dad works at the same factory Joel does. My dad’s last day of work will be the 1st of July until the 14th of July when he returns.
I’m saying extra prayers tonight, and thanking God that he is looking out for us. He realized I couldn’t do this another week but at the same time he realized we couldn’t do this another week. Financially and martially.
Schedule changes...even if your schedule isn't strict...is hard on a person and devastating to a family. Breathe deeply and let it go. Whatever you thought mattered doesn't; keeping your family together does. This soon will pass.
ReplyDeleteI've been married for almost 6 years and my husband has worked inconsistent shifts for 10 years. It's never the same from day to day or week to week due to the nature of his industry and position. Today (Tuesday), he's off; tomorrow he works 3-midnight; Friday he has to be in at 4 a.m. We have a 2 year-old and a baby on the way, and I work full-time, so I can totally understand how insanely HARD and STRESSFUL this has been for you. So thankful you'll be getting some relief soon. We're still praying about how to make things more consistent for our family. Unfortunately, there's no option for a steady shift of any kind, so he would literally have to make an entire career shift, most likely involving more school. I am convinced that most people don't really understand the impact of something like a work schedule on a family, so I wanted to reach out and give you a little e-hug from one understanding mama to another. Hang in there!
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