Nearly seven years ago, I returned to work after maternity leave and started my journey as a working mom. I was never going to be the person or lawyer I was when I went out on leave just a few short months prior. I was a changed person, adjusting to a work/life balance, learning the ins and outs of my new normal.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I’m four years and two kids into this gig, and while I’ve learned how to navigate the path with more ease over time, there is certainly no magic trick to make it work.
My life is a series of triage events every single day. I’m just trying to keep everyone’s head above water- keeping us all afloat.
I never know how many hours of sleep I’ll get or what we’re eating for dinner on any given occasion. I never know how many times school will call me to tell me my one-year-old took a tumble or what kind of mood my four-year-old will be in when I get home. Truly, I fly by the seat of my pants on most occasions, just hoping we’ll all survive the day.
Simultaneously, I’m navigating my career (as a divorce lawyer), while always wondering how I can do better. How can I strive for more. What could I be doing differently to be better at my job. And also, how do I make these unread emails go away?
I remember my own working mother coming home from work and cooking dinner, still in her heels. I look back now, and I am in awe that she managed to make it all look so easy. So balanced. The reality is that there’s no such thing as striking a balance. To quote a totally inappropriate, non- family-friendly movie, “some days you’re flush, and some days you’re bust.” That’s what this world of the working mom is like. Some days I’ve got it together, and some days I don’t. But I put one foot in front of the other, continuing on this journey. Hoping one day, my kids will look back and realize they have learned something from me, their working mom.