Accountability

By: Samantha S. Daviss

Every day we are accountable to someone or something. We are accountable to our bosses, our children, our spouses/partners, our pets, and even to ourselves.

There is not a day that goes by that we are not held accountable for something. The accountability that we owe ourselves is good health, good mind and spirit status, and just overall care for our bodies. But sometimes it is just nice to not be held accountable or responsible for anything.

Over the holiday time I was blessed to have a little “me time” to where I wasn’t really accountable to anyone else but myself. My kiddos were having a great time with their grandparents hunting and my partner in crime (my husband) was off working. So I took full advantage of the down time. Although it wasn’t that down.

I caught up on some much needed work, I got ahead on some much needed work to be done, and I also managed to squeeze in some pampering time for myself, and some movie time. I never ever have time to go see movies, so I carved out some time for myself and friends.

I was having dinner with another “single” mom on New Year’s Eve, and as we were driving, I was listening to her talk when all of the sudden it hit me… I had no one to go home to, no one to report in to, no babysitter to pay…I was free. I truly can’t remember the last time I wasn’t accountable to another human being.

Well that’s not entirely true…somewhere between my youth and adulthood, I had about 4 to 5 years in there that I truly wasn’t accountable for anyone but myself. And that would be my time in college. Yes, I had to check in with my parents, or friends so everyone knew I was safe and sound. But for the most part, the only person that I truly had to look out for was Number 1.

That sounds a little selfish, but it is so true. And as I sat in my friend’s car listening to her talk, it was such a nice liberating feeling, but at the same time I couldn’t imagine feeling like that every single day of my life. Only watching out for myself. So with all the late nights, loads of laundry, baths, bedtime stories, I really don’t know what I would do with my life if I didn’t have all of these wonderful little people, and big people, in my life.

It is nice to take a break from reality every once in a while, to recharge, or get caught up on some things that you have fallen behind on; but for the most part I would miss the chaos, the noise, the laughter, or the Legos being stepped on in the middle of the night while I get a bottle of water.

My life in a nutshell would be completely boring. But I have to admit, it has been almost 20 years since I was off the “accountability grid” for more than a day, and it did feel good to recharge the ol’ batteries. So do what you need to do for yourself to keep that smile on your face. It’s your life, you only get one shot at it.