Lately, I had begun to wonder if there is something else I should do. See, I’m a stay at home mom, and I don’t necessarily do much else other than write blog posts and read. If you’re as active as I am on social media, you get to see successful mamas that have their own businesses, or work outside the home in addition to, well, being mamas.
My sisters do it. They both have amazing, sweet and smart children. And they have great, successful careers. I know they struggle with work-life balance, which is much of the reason why I left my career in engineering about 6 years ago…
But even after leaving, it wasn’t long before I sought opportunities for a side-hustle.
I love being with my kids. It is awesome that I’m available to them if anything comes up; illness, an awards assembly, parent-teacher conferences, you name it. I also like to know what’s going on and hear it from their own lips.
Any stay-at-home mamas feel me here?
There’s that inkling that just doesn’t go away. That little desire to contribute great things to the world, outside my mom duties.
The other day, I thought of St Edith Stein – she was a Jewish Carmelite nun who had converted to Catholicism during the Nazi regime, and died in Auschwitz. I thought of her writings and wisdom; the gifts she shared with humanity. And I imagined what she might say to a stay at home mom like me, with desires for career “greatness.”
Perhaps she would say:
“What greater gift to the world can you contribute, than to make your children part of your life’s best work? What a great career to be a mother!”
And at least for now, in this stage of my life, that gives me peace.
I’m certainly not saying I will never have a career outside of the home, or that I do or don’t recommend it to other mamas.
I am also well aware of the struggles of mamas who want to be at home, and can’t, due to finances. That’s a whole other blog post!
Every family, circumstance, life is different and unique.
I am simply saying, for those of us who are stay at home mamas, we have permission to simply be mamas, even in this intense atmosphere of mom-entrepreneurs and six figure side-hustles.
And whenever, if ever, we are ready to take on a new adventure, go for it! Because that’s ok too!
