I quit. Not exactly the words I said in March 2012 to my boss of one year, but it is was the resulting action after a heart-to-heart conversation with the founder of a company whose mission and beliefs I embraced, respected and loved.
I quit. After informing the owner that my husband had accepted a job in the Midwest, and that my son and I were headed there with him, I knew that the dialogue exchanged had two potential outcomes: the company would keep me on staff as a remote editor, or it would bid me farewell. The former won and I was left convincing myself it was meant to be.
I quit. Reality set in. I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. Yay! Right? Then why the tears? Why the feeling that I was walking away from something great? Did we make the right choice? Should I tell my husband to shove that great job offer up his you-know-what and try to zap his memory of my harsh guilt-trips when we weren't in the position to afford this opportunity with my first born?
I quit. Truth is just that. And there was no looking back.
And so April marked the beginning of a new career - and the most challenging career choice of my life, at that. I ditched meetings for park dates; magazine layouts for puzzle building; work travel for trips into my son's brilliant imagination; and late-night deadlines for stress-free (relatively) day-trips to the museum, library and nature preserve.
Quitting is NOT something a mom can do - although there are times where the madness can make your knees weak with frustration. Here I'll share how I ditched a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled, working mom, A-type personality lifestyle for stay-at-home mommyhood without losing my identity or sanity.
