We Can’t Have it All

Just this past Friday a close friend of mine emailed me about how she recently came to the realization that although she is glad to be a working mom, she cannot agressivly persue her dream career path… at least not now that she has children.  I couldn’t agree with her more and told her that I had also come to that surprising realization.  I say surprising because you always hear all these high-powered women talking about their perfect work-life balance, so to me it was surprising that it didn’t really exist.

So now, come Monday morning, I thought it was so funny how all the mom blogs I follow all quoted the recent article in The Atlantic about women not being able to have it all. Written by Anne-Marie Slaughter, the article describes how she left her high-power job in Washington DC to be home for her kids. She still works outside of the home but has more flexibility with her schedule, making a world of difference.

I think what most stood out to me was the love that Anne-Marie Slaughter has for her children.  She gave up her life-long dream for them!  That’s a lot of love.  Now that I’m a mom, I can totally understand this.  It’s amazing how much we love our children.  So much that we are willing to give up our dreams for their benefit.

I love how she stressed that we are all human and can’t possibly do everything.  Feeling overwhelmed and having that mediocre mom feeling is really ok and even, dare I say it, normal.   While reading the article my mind kept wondering back to the thought that if it weren’t for my kids, there is no way on earth I would still be at my current job.  Oh, the sacrafices we all make.

No more feeling alone for me.  If a high-powered government official feels the same way I do, that’s enough company for me.  Feminism isn’t dead, but it’s time for women to take a step back and evaluate their lives.  Jobs come and go, but family is always there.

Until next time,
Shaindy