The Plight of the Worker Bees

Like millions of moms around the world, I'm a worker bee.  Like millions of people around the world who work outside of the home, I'm a worker bee. The job of us worker bees is to make sure the world around us functions as smoothly as it can. Inside of the home we make sure there are groceries in the house, dinner is on the table, there are clean clothes to be worn each day, house repairs are made, appointments are scheduled and kept, and family members get from Point A to Point B and back on time.  We may not be keeping clothes clean and pantries filled outside of the home but at work we are the ones who make sure schedules are kept, the right people are at meetings, speeches are written, bills are paid, and the final results look good.  It is exhausting work.  And contrary to the popular opinion of many, these things do not just magically happen.  Calendars must be juggled and synchronized while events must be planned down to the tiniest of details.  Not all events are big but more often than not the basic logistics remain the same.

Being a worker bee is exhausting but I am a worker bee because on most days I truly enjoy it.  For me there is something therapeutic about creating to-do lists then checking the items off as they are completed. Whether it be an Embassy wide event, a family vacation or a dinner party at my home, seeing my plans and hard work come to fruition brings me a sense of satisfaction. It isn't always easy, many circumstances are often out of my control and on quite a few days it feels as though I am trying to herd cats.  (Two legged, opinionated cats, but they react like cats none the less). But I do it because I like it. 

So remember, you might not see us bees but next time you step up to the podium and look out at a sea of adoring fans, take a moment to wonder who wrote your speech, staged your podium, and positioned your glass of perfectly chilled water.  Consider who issued the invitations to your party and oversaw the production and distribution of just the right amount of food.  When your paycheck automatically appears in your bank account think about how the money magically got there.   At home, consider who refilled your drawer with clean socks and how the food got to the table at the appointed dinner time.  The car pool that transported a teamful of kids to practice and back?  That car didn't drive itself.  The bathroom fairies don't replace the toilet paper roll nor do they make sure there is soap in the shower or toothpaste in the cabinet.   The freshly cut hair and clean clothes for school pictures that even Grandma approves of?  No, your seven year old did not take this upon himself to make it happen.  A worker beed did. 

 And now I'm buzzing off to make my next event look like "it just magically happened!"