Last week I dwelled a bit on the importance of keeping present in whatever journey we find ourselves on. It can be so easy to get caught up in where we want to get to, that we miss out on a lot along the way. That sentiment was heavily reinforced for me this past week! It’s like I’m prescient or something… Quick! Consult me on your next big financial investments! No? Yeah, you’re right. I wouldn’t trust me with that either.
Anyway, on Monday my beautiful wife came down with something that—quite frankly—kicked her butt and knocked her out for the count for the entire week. No, it wasn’t COVID, for those who may be concerned. I’m happy to report that she’s doing much better at this point and will likely be 100% by the time this blog gets published. That was definitely not the case over the past few days, though. Even though my wife and I are pretty intentional about sharing the burden of homemaking, she’s an incredibly hard-working person who is always going above and beyond to make sure we’re thriving instead of just surviving. That said, when she’s not able to do her part, it's very noticeable.
I think anyone who has cared for a sick partner—especially if you’re also parents—gets what I’m talking about. Suddenly, you’re responsible for all the cooking, parenting, cleaning, parenting, laundry, parenting, pet care, parenting, etc. As an aside, I’ll openly admit that I only had to juggle parenting one child amidst everything else. For all of you who are outnumbered by multiple children when your significant other is MIA, you have my utmost respect. It can all be very overwhelming, easily eating away at the precious few hours we have in a day, and preventing any prospect of productivity in other areas of life.
So, after harping on the significance of being present in whatever stage of the journey we’re on, I was forced to eat my own words and try practicing what I preach. The long and short of it—I made virtually no progress in anything VO related aside from posting a few things on social media and attending some late-night online webinars. My normal groove came to a screeching halt as I had other responsibilities to tend to.
In the end, though, I would still say this week has been a net gain for me in so many ways. Not only did I have the opportunity to exercise the muscle of being present in the now, but I was also able to spend a lot of quality time with my daughter, give back to my wife and dote on her a bit, and grow in areas that I don’t generally spend much time on—I can be a surprisingly good cook when I put my mind to it! Were there missed VO opportunities this week? Undoubtedly. We’re fortunate right now, though, to not be fully reliant on my VO career for our financial well-being. Perhaps other voice talent needed those opportunities this week, to bless and encourage them. There’s enough work to go around, and the gigs with my name on them will come.
Despite being a little stressed and overwhelmed at times, this past week was a good chance to pull off of the VO superhighway, focus on something else for a while, and do a bit of a reboot so I can come back fresh and swinging. Going forward, I’m going to continue trying to develop the balance between keeping my eye on the prize and keeping my eye on the present.
Also, I’m just going to pray that my wife stays healthy. Pulling off the Mr. Mom role for a week provides a satisfying feeling of accomplishment, but I’d always rather do life together with my other half!
How are you staying present in your journey? Do you have any habits that help you do so? Or is it sometimes forced upon you when life happens?
Until next time, friends, keep telling stories.
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Tyler Robbert
Voiceover Artist | Storyteller