I won’t lie: There were jobs in my past where I would wake up in the morning, see that I was already going to be late, groan and think “What excuse could I give them today?” There were jobs that threatened if I was late once more, I’d be put on probation. So when I awoke ten minutes before clock-in time, I wouldn’t call in late – I’d call in sick. “Better late than never” was not part of their philosophy.

I was also infamous among my friends for sleeping a lot. A LOT. As in, 12 or 14 hours a whack. One day I slept 20 hours in a row. I was mocked, I was insulted. But I was well-rested.

Then I became a mother.

Mothers – single parents or not – are not allowed such luxuries as sick days and sleeping in. My toddler gets up the same time every morning, no matter what time I eventually fall asleep, or for how long. There’s no baby snooze alarm, there’s no “just another hour.” There’s no wheedling excuses for not doing your job. Get up and take care of business. End of story.

I have felt like hammered manure for ten days now. The Weather Channel reports that the pollen level is “astronomical,” and I am suffering a brutal assault. Despite a trip to the doctor and the emergency room, I am still miserable. My throat is on fire, my ears are throbbing, my sinuses are pounding. I wake up on the hour all night.

And I get up every day at 6:45 a.m. to the musical beckoning of “Mommeeeee… come get meeee…” from the other room.

Before I had a child, I used to always point out that one of the reasons I had no interest in reproducing was the locked-in finality of being a parent. You can always quit a job, get divorced, move. But man, you’re stuck with that kid! 

And it goes further. You’re stuck with that JOB. I can’t be lazy anymore (well, as much). I have eaten walnuts and canned green beans for dinner before, because I was too lazy/tired/unmotivated to cook. But I can’t do that for my daughter. I won’t. And when she wakes up, I have to get up and make her breakfast. There’s no calling out sick.

I think this is that thing I keep hearing about: “being responsible.” Glad I finally learned it – better late than never.