I had a Magic 8 Ball when I was a kid. Over and over, I'd ask it questions only to get answers like, "Reply Hazy. Try Again Later." I often wonder what life would be like if we each got our own Magic 8 Ball - and the answers were real. As it turns out, that "Reply Hazy" answer may have been accurate.
I shared some of my story when I launched this podcast, but sometimes life is too complicated to fit neatly into an introductory episode of a podcast.
Yes, I spent about a dozen years in high-tech and, yes, I returned to work about a dozen years later. I loved my career and wanted to return to meaningful work.
What I didn't share was what was going on in my family and financial pressures I was also feeling at that time. My husband was sick and I knew it. He was a physician and should have known it, but was in deep denial. Despite repeated ER visits after his heart stopped and monthly chemo treatments for auto-immune hives, he maintained the incredibly rigorous schedule of a cardiologist. Denial is a powerful drug.
But, at some point, reality is even more powerful.
In this episode you'll hear:
I absolutely returned to work because I wanted to. But my timing and my choices were also driven by financial realities. As mothers, we are filled with wisdom and resilience that helps us through our parenting journey. But there's also a lot of uncertainty in life.
We don't get a Magic 8 ball that maps out the future, but we can take steps to make sure we're ready for anything life throws our way. And now you know the rest of my story.
