Motherhood & Work Identity!
“Children are not a distraction from the most important work. They are the most important work!” C.S. Lewis
Work. That four letter word has caused lots of stress in my motherhood. Shortly after the newborn weeks, when are you going back to work? What do you do for work? SAHM? WFHM?
I remember my confusion. “What a privilege to stay home!” “You must be so ready to go back to work!”
Where did I fit? I love work! I’m called to homeschool?
At some point, us modern women hit that wall. We try to figure out the perfect balance, instead of focusing on the right priorities.
I wish to save my post-partum self some headache. Reassure her that the “blue flame” of motherhood @jenniferfulwiler changes through seasons. Our mama answers to,
“What do I want?”
“What will help me love more?”
Change with every New Year.
Holding my first baby, I waited to go back to my ICU work.
Holding my second, back to my fertility care internship,
Holding my third, back to my NP position,
Now holding my fourth, it’s the homeschool lesson plans and blogging I call work.
Through those experiences, through hundreds of mama interviews,
“I call myself a stay at home mom,” said a traveling speaker, “because my work flows from my kitchen table.”
“I work to be a better mom. I love my job,” said a full time corporate mama.
“I consider my job vocational,” said a part-time nurse.
“As soon as I held that baby, I knew I wanted to stay home,” said a PhD graduate.
Through reading Edith Stein, Saint Saint John Paul 2, Saint Zelie & Saint Jose Escrivia writings on work & women,
I’ve learned no matter the modern lingo - We’re all working moms.
Whatever were back today, let’s not let the details distract us. Our why, our children, remain the same!
As our feast day intercessor, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton reminds,
“The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner He wills it; and thirdly to do it because it is His will.”
What’s God’s will for me? It’s the present moment, the people in front of me – the most important work there is! ❤️
How’ve you struggled with work identity or work life balance? What’s helped you?
