Reasonable Responsibility

I think it makes sense for me to be reflecting on responsibility at this point in my life. Seems like I am confronted with it at every turn. I realize it is likely due to the age I am and the age of my friends, but I find it funny that we are the ones making these decisions and being the responsible parties. Even more amazing are the people who I thought would be successful and responsible that have failed-most of them, epically.

Responsibility is seen as so many different things anymore. Some see it as being true to yourself no matter the cost, while others see it as self sacrifice no matter the cost. And fiscal responsibility is a term that is said daily on almost every news network out there (yet no one seems to be practicing it). I think my best definition of responsibility would be making decisions with the knowledge that your decisions and actions affect more than just yourself.

For instance, my decision to learn the Beyonce's "Single Ladies" dance in order to perform at my friends' wedding in December is a responsible decision since it will not only help me get in shape for delivering this baby, but it will give my friends a wedding memory that will last forever--enormous pregnant woman shaking her booty on the dance floor at their wedding one week before her due date, hopefully going into labor right then and there?! What an honour! Hopefully, their photographer is as responsible as I am and will snap some amazing pictures of the moment!

My hubby and I had a long conversation this morning about where we feel our responsibilities lie at this point in our life. Obviously, the "Single Ladies" dance made it to the top of the list, closely followed by Black Friday Shopping (fiscal responsibility) and finally prepping for Little Man, whose arrival is getting closer every day.

(Did I mention that I am pregnant? Bet you didn't know that yet...I really don't like to talk about myself too much.)

As far as Black Friday shopping, we really only participate due to the thrill of the chase...there is nothing we really need or want right now (other than a year's worth of diapers, formula, and money for day care) so when we discussed the infamous day-after-holiday-that-has-pretty-much-become-a-new-holiday, this year we aren't on a quest for any particular items and are waiting to see the sale papers and determine what is too good a deal to pass up since we will probably need it at some point in the future.

As for prepping for baby, now even we have begun throwing around the term "fiscal responsibility". Not that fiscal responsibility is something that can ever be achieved once the little guy is here. (From what I understand, once you have children, money grows wings and flies so fast you don't even see it leaving your wallet.) My plan is to not plan and let life happen. My husband hates my plan. He wants to plan every detail, but my argument is that we can't know how things are going to pan out and we certainly can't know how much this decision is going to cost upfront. That's just not the way this works! But I do know this--it's going to be worth it all!

And personally, I think that is only reasonable.