PhD In a Bathtub

I've been admiring it for the past nine months: its sleek forms and smooth shapes, its pearl-white surface and its comfortable depth. I am referring to the bathtub, of course. I've been anticipating the chance to indulge, to be spoiled and selfish, to be by myself in a lavender scented candlelit bathroom, lulled by the pleasant humming of the underwater jets.

At six weeks postpartum I am ready, and today is the day, the time has come- the moment has finally arrived.

All the chores fill my mind, with guilt attached My husband took the boys to the park; my daughter is watching the baby, who's sleeping on the patio—I am now free to do whatever I want for an hour or so! But am I?

As the water slowly fills up the Jacuzzi, so do all the chores fill my mind, with guilt attached: I need to check my e-mails, finish the research papers for my school, make a few business calls, find the lost library books, order lunches for the kids, and start on bills. Oh, and I am hungry.

It is ridiculously silly to be torn between the rational mind and emotions of the heart over taking a hot, relaxing and well deserved bath. But never the less, I am standing in the hallway, listening to the tinkling of the water coming from the bathroom, looking at my computer with a pile of paperwork next to it, not knowing what to do.

Oh, come on Katherine, I tell myself. You know how to multitask. It's true; just this morning, while nursing my baby, I managed to type up an essay on my laptop, and then while rocking the baby in the cradle, I folded all the laundry, made three phone calls and ate a sandwich. So of course I can compromise between my mind's and my heart's desires and please them both!

Let's see what I can accomplish while taking the bath: what are the priorites on my "to do" list?

Everything is possibleA few minutes later, after comfortably sitting in the bathtub, I am eating an energy bar, slowly sipping "mother's milk" herbal tea and glancing through the survey documents, laid on a chair next to the tub. I feel pretty good, accomplishing three things at once. Perhaps, the yogi from a meditation retreat would disagree with me for not being in the moment of my bath experience, but the yogi is not a mother and cannot realize that right now, I am in three moments at once! Can he beat that?

Motherhood had given me a crash course on time-management, prioritizing and multitasking. After all, these women, "just mothers", who "sit" at home, are the presidents and CEO-s of their families, who control and run the whole household. They are chefs, nutritionists, children's psychologists and marital counselors. They are also drivers, buyers, and bookkeepers. Without a medical degree, they can kiss away the "owie" pain and hug away the nightmares. They are superwomen, chosen by G‑d and sent on a mission—to give life and turn it into love. And we, the mothers, know that with G‑d's help, everything is possible!