One Family, Two Cities

My eldest yesterday celebrated her 6th with 5 other kindergarden kids who turned 6 within two weeks. We invited the entire group, including siblings and parents, and a few old kindergarden friends. It was a good chance to talk to parents of our "new" group (we joined last fall), as well as catch up with some of the old ones. A common story: the husband spends most of his working week in another city. I guess this is common in smaller places, but also in Berlin, where it's not easy to find a job. In effect, these moms are single moms with a family, including husband - I bet there is a wonderful term or acronym for this already somewhere out there. All of these moms are very tough, inspiring women, who manage a job and the kids alone during the week. It's something I dont think I could do - and more importantly want to do. Not everyone has a (financial) choice, though. For those who do: is it wanting too much of everything? A family, a good job, a city of choice...Or is it just another example of muddling through: initially a temporary solution becomes permanent.