Whoever said, “It takes a village” wasn’t lying.
My current resume includes sibling mediator, #12’s biggest fan, nerf gun dart collector, wife, personal chef, scraped knee healer, baby-girl incubator, and of course, BLM Social Media Coordinator. Life can be hectic. If I told you that my alarm goes off in the morning, my kids happily get ready for school, and we don’t forget our lunch on the counter most days; I’d be lying. People ask all the time… “How do you do it?” The truth is, I ask myself the same question on a daily basis.
When my youngest son was almost one, I was offered an amazing opportunity at Bottom Line Marketing. I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to have a reason to wear something other than yoga pants, put on a little makeup and talk to adults. Those were the first things that popped into my head, but really, I was most thrilled that someone believed in this mother-of-two enough to offer me an opportunity that I had always dreamed of.
Mom guilt set in quick. Watching my one-year-old cry as I carefully closed the front door in the morning, or the first time I missed a Valentine’s Day party at my son’s school; my heart shattered into a million pieces. Was this really the right thing for my family? I had dreamt of these days, being a Mom, for as long as I can remember, and now I am choosing to leave them behind.
I love my kids more than anything. I love being their Mom. I love watching them grow and learn new and exciting things, but the truth is “leaving” them has been one of the best things for our family. Our time together is a little sweeter, and our adventures are a little more special.
Nowadays, when an RV passes us on the highway, my son asks if I think that it came from Palm Beach RV? When we are running errands and pass a CL Kitchen’s location, he asks if we can stop in so he can watch for his .05 second debut on their commercial loop in the front window. Watching my boys dance around the living room and sing along to the Rosner’s jingle during the 5 o’clock news. These moments are priceless. The fact that they recognize through my career I play a part in these events, justifies everything and I can’t help but smile.
I love going to work. Work gives me a chance to utilize my creative abilities, challenge myself, and stand as a part of a team. Our children look up to my husband and I and admire everything we do. I can only hope that one day my children find a job that brings them as much joy and pride, as working for BLM does for me.
As I leave for a couple of months to welcome our sweet girl into the world and adjust to life as a family of five, I know one thing is for sure. My husband and I have the world’s greatest support system. From our parents and siblings, to our work families and friends, we couldn’t do it without them. I will do my best to enjoy my time at home, but I can guarantee you that most days around 11:30 AM I will be hopping on Skype to check out the BLM daily gossip and see what everyone is ordering for lunch, occasionally even running out of the house for a last minute “lunch meeting”.
The Bottom Line is that “leaving” my babies was hard in the beginning, but now I am able to share so much with them when I come home from work. Work-life balance can be difficult, but there is a much bigger reward when you get home and get to tell your kids about your day.