I wanted so much for our home to be a place of warmth, safety, and mutual support for our family. Instead, after returning to work full-time outside the home, I found myself feeling resentful toward my family members. I felt like I was carrying too many of the household responsibilities. I needed help and support for things to run more smoothly. Then I remembered that I could apply the principle of finding a healthy balance through a division of labor as described in Tradition Eight. I identified specific tasks for which I could use help from other members of the family. One idea that I shared seemed to resonate with my boys: “We all, adults and kids alike, have work to do, and all of us are needed in this family.” Sometimes they seemed to get it, and when they didn’t, I tried to remember the slogan “Progress, not Perfection.” All I know is that our household functioned so much better when we each did our part, so that no one person was trying to do it all. Sharing and communicating about these responsibilities were ways that we learned to express our love, respect, and appreciation for each other.
Reprinted from S-Anon Twelve Traditions, pages 111-112.