Last Thursday, I was on a Google Meet with a potential new client, and it wasn’t one of those casual “nice to meet you” conversations. Instead, I was presenting to the CEO, the Vice President, and the Marketing Leader, explaining our process and why we would be the best agency for their company.

I heard my phone buzzing when I explained the importance of determining their value propositions and messaging before creating their visual brand. It was the kids’ school. Crap.

Every parent hates to see the school or daycare number appear on the phone. It inevitably means the child is sick or in trouble, neither of which is a desired outcome. At any rate, I couldn’t answer, so I watched it go to voicemail. As the CEO asked my thoughts on their current website, I looked at the voicemail transcription.

This is Nurse Christy. I have Henry in the health room …

I explained to the CEO that I thought his current site was typical of many businesses: it jumps straight to what they do but doesn’t answer the more important question: Why should I care? At the same time that I was speaking, I was also opening up the text messages on my computer and typing to Steven:

In meeting. And another meeting after this. Henry is sick. Can you pick him up?

I asked the Marketing Leader if she had a brand guide and files for their current brand. As she answered with the file types she had, I found my brain yelling to Steven, “Answer me!” With each passing minute, I grew more and more anxious. And then, from Steven:

Leaving to get him.

As I concluded my meeting with the company, I texted Charlie’s teacher to let her know that Henry was sick and wouldn’t be in the car line. I also texted my mom to tell her she would only need to pick up Charlie.

And to the company: “It was so great meeting you. I’ll contact you in a few days with a formal proposal.”

That weekend, my entire family went down with the flu, and I was fine … Actually, I wasn’t. I was annoyed. 

I am a terrible nurse. 

I don’t have patience for the whining, moaning, and aching. My approach to nursing is, “Here are your meds, take them and feel better.” This makes me sound like a horrible mom, and truth be told, I kind of am. I have zero patience, I don’t volunteer for school things, and when the kids get sick? Ugh.

Five years ago, admitting this would have shamed me. But now? I’ve realized that being a woman is complicated. Being a very involved father is complicated as well. Our society projects unrealistic expectations on all of us. And I am so tired of society, especially in light of recent events. 

What do I love about TealHaus? We have a group text. When a child is sick, someone texts the group, and everyone commiserates. We know it sucks. Sure, there’s the “Is Jimmy feeling  better?” But there’s also the “Isn’t cleaning up vomit THE WORST?” or “God, I do NOT miss changing diapers.”

We are honest. We admit our shame. We laugh. And we continue to do what we love—our work. Whether it’s at 3 p.m. after picking up the kids or 5 a.m. before they wake up, we get the job done. And we LOVE the work. We love how it feels to take a client’s thoughts and simplify them into a tagline or see a client’s vision and distill it into a brand. This is where we thrive. Having kids doesn’t take us away from what we love. It adds to it.

Lindsay