Barbara Hardt has been the force behind The Mountain-Ear for many years, and still is. There are times, however, when she is on vacation or needs to be away for a few days. The Mountain-Ear still goes to press every week, is in your mailbox, distributed throughout the Peak to Peak area, and online.
That happens because this newspaper involves a team of people who work hard and work together every week to publish the paper.
It is true that when Barb is gone the workload does shift for some of us. In my home I give my kids a warning that Barb is gone this week. They then know that they have to be more independent with meals and tasks around the house because mom will be at the computer longer than normal.
My daughter has mastered making boxed mac ‘n’ cheese. Both kids have figured out that I lose track of time at night. I usually end up looking at the clock and frantically saying, “Oh, my gosh, look at the time – everybody go to bed NOW!” I wonder why no one bothered to tell me the time?
Like at work, we have to be a team at home. I expect a lot from my kids because of my work as an editor and journalist, the studies I am pursuing, and the fact that we are a family and we need to do this together.
If it is the little details like watering the plants, or big things like getting a load of laundry in and washing the dishes, we are all stepping in and helping. Getting my teenager to vacuum might be my next challenge.
If it is collaborating to finish the newspaper (any task) or being a mom to a teenager and a preteen, when we get our jobs completed, work together, listen to understand, and communicate well together with kindness and compassion – that is when we thrive. And have some fun at the same time!
—Sara Sandstrom
