A New Chapter

My entire life, I planned on becoming a career woman. My family was filled with them and it was an expectation taught to us from birth. I worked hard in school and went to college and even continued my education beyond that. I am analytical and driven and have strong leadership tendencies.

I’m also a mom.

I love being a mom. And, I like to think that I’m pretty good at it about 90% of the time.

When my first was born, it’s like something turned on inside of me. I wanted to be there to raise him 100% of the time. Dropping him off at daycare every day was heart-wrenching. Motherhood became my new calling. (That and being a wife who gets to brunch and drink mimosas all day while the nanny watches the kids next to me, but I married for love and not wealth ;).)

Despite all of that, God had a plan for me. He wanted me to continue working for four more years. He wanted me to meet people in the workforce who could help me become an even better person and mom. He wanted me to gain more independence and knowledge and find my own path to open up doors in the future that I don’t even know exist right now. He wanted me to have another wonderful baby boy and have the security of a work-tribe behind me during that period.

And then, he wanted me to slow down.

Sometimes it’s hard to know when you need to go and when you need to stop. Sometimes you keep going in the direction you’ve been going because that’s what you feel most comfortable doing even if it’s something that you wish you could back away from. Many of us get stuck in the trap of thinking of the “someday I’ll be ready” instead of the “right now I’ll make it work.” It’s during those times that God gives you a little push.

In April, we realized it was time for me to put my career on hold and focus 100% on my boys. It was so hard to make that decision, but God blessed me with a boss and work situation that allowed me to ease into it. Last week was my last day of work for the foreseeable future and I’m finally mentally and emotionally prepared to see what God has in store for this new stay at home mom.

Sometimes you have to turn the page and start living the new chapter of your life despite the unknown, so cheers to a new beginning.