Hi All,
Well, this morning I have had almost 1 hr of peace and quiet to myself, the
kids are still sleeping.  sigh...I need this EVERY morning!

I was thinking about all that has gone on in my life the last several
months, and how I let my passion for the field of BF (and my thirst for
knowledge and education) get swept aside with so many other responsibilities
(remember I went no-mail??).  Last weekend, I had the pleasure of spening an
evening (along with my dear friend Jill, pregnant with twins) at my other
dear friend (and mentor) Karen Evons house.  (Hi Karen!)  She had a very
special couple of women there...Linda Smith and Karen Gramada!  Jill and I
had them all to ourselves, and what a wonderful treat!  To get to sit and
chat with Linda and Karen was just amazing.  Then the following night, I
went to a dinner/reception for Linda, Karen and Paula Meier.  Again, how
wonderful!  I found myself getting "re-jazzed" about this BF thing and have
been "back in the saddle again", so to speak.  The dinner was wonderful,
getting to talk to many of the BF folks in the area, as well as Linda, Karen
and Paula.

I had found myself getting discouraged with the slowness of my progress to
where I want to be in this field, but then realized something very
important.  The time I have spent reading Lactnet has allowed me to keep
current with the issues, continue my education, and most importantly, be
with the people who need me most right now:  My children.  I realized that
tho I only need a few hundred hours (and some money) to sit the exam, that
to get them, at this time, would be at the expense of my children.  And
having been a child whose mother was not around a lot for a variety of
reasons, I will not do that to my kids, unless it is the only way they will
eat.
Being on Lactnet has kept me humble (I don't know as much as some in this
area {where I live} think they do ;D ), I can always learn more, I have
time, and time is an important tool in this trade, and those who do this for
the love do it with honor.  Lactnet has also allowed me to talk with people
who I never would have been able to talk to, or learn from, any other way.
This in itself has made sure that my education is varied (how many different
points of view we sometimes have...).  Then there have been the couple of
times I have actually gotten to meet some of these wonderful folks!  This
weekend, in fact, I have the pleasure of having Kathy Auerbach as a houseguest!

I guess what I am saying is that I am back on track, and hope that anyone
else out there who is frustrated with how long the process can take, can see
that it is something worth waiting for.  The key is to hang in there, do
what you can, and learn what you can when you can.  As I sit here finishing
this note, with PJ now nursing and me typing one handed, I realize that this
is what life is all about.  The professional stuff will always be here, but
these little guys are only little for a short time, so enjoy them.  So,
while I enjoy my kids, I make sure to find some time to enjoy myself and my
passion, and I thank everyone of you on Lactnet for that!  Because without
you writing in your thoughts and questions, I, and others, would have
nothing to read in the wee hours of the morning!  :0

Thank You for Lactnet, Kathy B and Kathy A..  What a wonderful gift you have
given us!

Jay
Jay Simpson, CLE
Sacramento, CA
"No Miracles performed here, just a lot of love and hard work."