Could you work from home?

So remember this post where my sister and boyfriend pretty much made me their laundry bitch for the day because they figured I had the TIME to do it for them? Well, it's becoming more and more evident to me that people just don't get what it is I do all day long. When I send emails at 6am, people write back asking, "What are you doing up so early?!" This happened to me just the other day, only it was like 9:45!  I rarely sleep past 10am on the weekend—c'mon now! 

Working from home is tough. I don't have anyone forcing me to do anything, so it's up to ME to stay motivated. The majority of the time, I have my PT job, random freelance gigs and the blog to keep me busy and on track. But there are days here and there where I'm like hmm, I could totally sit on the couch and watch TV all day if I wanted to! But, I don't. (Well, I just might watch part of Oprah today—the Twilight cast will be on!) But trust me, I'm on the constant hustle. Can't stop, won't stop. I haven't even SEEN my bf since Sunday! Is the weekend here yet?

Tell me: Could you work from home and stay motivated? Do you think you'd enjoy it? And if you were home during the day, what's the one thing you'd be tempted to do? Nap? Watch Dr.Phil? WHAT?

Feeling Guilty...again

Stop rolling your eyes--this post isn't going to be a rant about how I ate my feelings last night. Instead, I'm going to switch gears a little bit and talk about something that has been weighing on my mind for the last few years.

As I told you in this post, my dad passed away from lung cancer three years ago. The anniversary of his death is coming up in two weeks, and lately I've been thinking about how these last few years have been without him. I think about him all the time and miss him a lot, but I only occasionally cry about the fact that he is gone. In all honesty, I've coped with his death well.

For the past three years I have felt guilty about this. I felt that the more tears I shed, the more I would prove to myself how much my dad meant to me. I've even found myself feeling happy when I cry for him. See, I haven't forgotten about you, Dad. See how much I love you.

Before I got my current gig at The Knot, and was able to enjoy daytime TV, I saw a Dr. Phil show that made me feel a lot better about this burden I've been carrying. He was talking to a mother who lost her son in the war. She said she feels guilty every time she laughs or has a happy moment. Then Dr. Phil replied with something like, "Your tears don't signify your love for him. Just because you aren't crying, doesn't mean you are over the fact that he is gone. He would want you to be happy." OK, so what Dr. Phil said was a lot more profound, but you get the idea.

I can't say that his words made me feel 100% better, but they have helped a lot. And it's true, my dad would want me to be happy. I think one reason I have dealt with his death so well is the fact that my parents raised me with a "This is life, things happen," mentality. I'm not one to feel sorry for myself or act like I have it so much harder than everyone else. (Even though I do quite a bit of whining on this blog). I realize how blessed I am no matter what other hurdles may come my way down the road. And I like that I was raised this way. I know a lot of other people who totally freak out at the smallest things--it's not something I can really comprehend.

Anyway, I do feel a little better for sharing. If anyone else has something they'd like to get off their chest today, you know what to do.