Labour and leisure go hand in hand
Updated On: 03 May, 2024 06:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Rosalyn D`mello
I want my child to observe the pleasure I derive from my work. While he should know what a working mother looks like, I also want him to witness a woman at rest, exploring hobbies and being present
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I have been very conscious about telling our child that I work. Representation Pic
As I held my toddler on the ledge of the balcony so he could optimally view the orange tractor usually parked in the inner courtyard of the winery below our apartment building, I thought about the difference between bodies at work and at rest. He wanted ‘more tacto’. I told them the other two vintage tractors were asleep in the garage. This was not a lie. They were, indeed, in a state of rest. I started fantasising about what that could mean for my body. My partner joined us, and we talked about our farmer friend who we consider a workaholic. Was he taking the day off? Surely not, my partner decided. Labour Day is for white-collar workers, according to this farmer’s logic. It was a rainy day but the skies were not continually leaking, so it was definitely possible to thin the apple trees, unburden them of excess. Sadly, I was also working. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take the day off. I had too much on my plate that was deadline-sensitive. I was also beginning to crave the feeling of lightness that comes from finishing things, from having fewer pending tasks. So, my partner whisked our toddler off so I could put in more hours.
Later, when I had a bit of downtime to recover, after I had managed to clear two massive deadlines, I invested my energy in cleaning the house. This is a tendency I have had since my bachelor days… when I get too absorbed with work or have too many deadlines, I cannot be attentive to household things. I watch layers of dust accrue on surfaces or see how I need to rotate our toddler’s toys but feel apprehensive about getting into it because it can become a form of procrastination or distraction. The better strategy is to delay dealing with it until I have more mind space. So, yesterday evening, after I felt freer in my head, I went around the house cleaning and clearing, knowing my partner would do the rest over the weekend. Then I heated up the soup I’d made for both our meals and poured myself a glass of wine.
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