When my son, Blake, awoke from his nap one day last week, I went upstairs to inform my husband (who was working from home) that I was heading across the street to greet ournew neighbor, who had just moved in the previous weekend. “I’ll get all the scoop”, I promised him, as I juggled Blake on one hip, and held a potted plant in the other.
After introducing ourselves to each other, she invited me in as she set the plant on the foyer table. We made small talk for several minutes, until Blake decided that he wanted to crawl around and investigate, at which point I decided it was time to go.
“She’s early 50’s, divorced, lives alone, and get this- she’s retired”, I told Jason when I arrived back home. “I wonder how she swung that”, I mused to myself, as my husband stared at his computer screen.
And then, I had a reality check. I am retired also, in a way.
Two years ago, I left my job as a Respiratory Therapist in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for my dream job- to be a SAHM (Stay-at-home-mom.) What I didn’t realize, is that the grass isn’t always greener, once you cross the side from career woman, to that of Kitchenaid mixers, and lonely days at home.
Suddenly, I didn’t have a disposable income that I was earning myself. Those “retail therapy” trips to Target were now met with guilt- for, I wasn’t the one out earning money. I struggled with only having one income, and cried the day that I closed my bank account, and no longer used my personal credit cards.
Days were met with all the tasks that I never had the time to accomplish, and I was finally able to not only join the PTA, but to take an active role in it as well, when I became Vice President. I was happy, and content. Most days, that is.
The most difficult struggle that I had to overcome was the feeling of being alone. My close circle of friends consisted of those who worked, and when I would talk to them, they would inquire, “But, what do you do all day?” Never mind, that I was a mother, and wife; it didn’t seem to gain the approval from anyone except my family. Acquaintances quickly forgot that I once had a career, one in which I was not only successful, but one where I was looked up to. It was assumed that since I had become a SAHM, that my IQ dropped by at least 15 points.
Over time, I have carved out what I expect from myself, and now see what I do as a career in and of itself. I am a domestic engineer, teacher, chef, nutritionist, chauffeur, facilities manager, CEO, psychologist, and more. I get very little sleep, the job never ends, and am on-call at all times. My home life is my job, and the most important one, at that.
It is my dream job, after all.
Add blogger to her list of duties… Andria can be found over at Andria and Co.
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[...] I wanted to let you all in on something that I am super excited about. Starting today, I will be a contributing writer for Blissfully Domestic, the online e-zine for women of all ages, and stages of life. I will be writing for the Family Channel, and you can see my first article here! [...]