Back closer to the beginning of the year, I took a part-time job that involves working on Saturday’s (this is in addition to what was my normal Monday-Friday gig). I accepted the position because I thought it would be fun, and it is only a four hour shift.

I did enjoy it quite a bit at first, but then my youngest started playing a fall sport, and I have had to miss every single game except for one (I am the only person working on Saturday, so if I am not there, it does not open. There are only 2 other employees, so getting someone to take the shift is hard). The last game is tomorrow, and I do not want to miss it, but as usual, I have to work. I am afraid to say I can’t be there and that someone else will need to cover or we will need to be closed. I am not 100% sure why I have this fear. My disappointment with disappointing my youngest (which I do feel) should take precedence over fear of saying I can’t work, shouldn’t it?

I am a grown-ass woman, but I feel like a teenager afraid to disappoint an adult, or (maybe worse) afraid to get a nasty response. Ugh. Does anyone else ever have experiences like this? Why is it so hard to say no to thing you don’t want to do, when it is so important to do something else?