I came back to work when my children were two months old. At that early age, they seem to have little awareness of anybody but their Raggedy Ann dolls, so it wasn't a matter of them missing me. I was missing them.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the emotional bond between a parent and their young children, emphasizing the parent's feelings of absence more than the children's awareness.
In this quote, Jane Pauley expresses the poignant reality of a parent's return to work shortly after childbirth, capturing the bittersweet nature of early parenthood. While her children are too young to truly miss her, she articulates a deep sense of longing and emotional connection, highlighting how strong parental love can lead to feelings of separation and loss, even when children are too young to understand.
In practice
In a parenting workshop, to illustrate the complexities of returning to work after having a baby.
I've come to recognize what I call my 'inside interests.' Telling stories. And helping people tell their stories is a sort of interpersonal gardening. My work at NBC News was to report the news, but in hindsight, I often tried to look for some insight to share that might spark a moment of recognition in a viewer.
There might be false starts and do-overs.You are entitled to experiment before you find your calling.
Kids learn more from example than from anything you say; I'm convinced they learn very early not to hear anything you say, but to watch what you do.
When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder the year I turned 50, it was certainly a shock. But as a journalist, knowing a little bit about a lot of things, I didn't suffer the misconception that depression was all in my head or a mark of poor character. I knew it was a disease, and, like all diseases, was treatable.
The years after 50 can be a time of great productivity, meaningful work, pleasure, creativity, and innovation. It's a huge opportunity.
A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by secrecy and shame.
Parenting is an impossible job at any age.
There's no handbook for parenting. So you walk a very fine line as a parent because you are civilizing these raw things. They will tip the coffee over and finger-paint on the table. At some point, you have to say, 'We're gonna have to clean that up because you don't paint with coffee on a table.'
I write a letter to my mother every day, because in that letter, I write down my day. And if I don't write it down, then tomorrow I will forget it and it's gone.
The family meal is really the nursery of democracy. It's where we learn to share; it's where we learn to argue without offending. It's just too critical to let go, as we've been so blithely doing.
Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.
My mother was the concert master of the symphony. Absurdity and eccentricity were not criticized.
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