Have you ever noticed that being a mother is a little like being the "Wizard of Oz". You are this one person secretly operating a whole city behind a little curtain. You are bestowing intelligence, teaching about love, building courage, all while creating an environment that there is no place like. The only difference is we don't get to use smoke and mirrors. We don't get viewed as this big, giant, impressive floating head. If you've ever been in a changing room with a toddler, you know full well that curtain is not staying closed. So, though we all know being a stay-at-home mom is an impressive job in itself, and we are fully aware of how omnipotent we must be to do the job right, when you find yourself at a cocktail party being asked what you do for a living, when you respond that you're a mom, let me tell you, most people aren't thinking, "Oh, my, she must be a wizard, how impressive".
I used to be a corporate executive and for the past seven years I've been a stay-at-home mom. I have been happy to pull the levers behind the curtain and keep everything running smoothly, but now my kids are in school full-time and I want to be seen as more. And I know I'm not alone. Many of my friends are finding themselves in the same situation, having had fulfilling careers but then being on this alternate path of mommyhood for so long that it's hard to find our way back to remembering there is more to ourselves than cooking and cleaning. But how do you move on from that and take the time to rediscover who you once were and more importantly who you want to be, beyond your role as mommy? In this economy, it's not so easy to find a job especially with such a large time gap on your resume, and for many of us, going back to a full-time job isn't the path we want to take anyway. But there are other ways to make your mark if you are creative about applying your passions to something concrete. If you are a like-minded mom, finding yourself at this crossroad, you may need to think outside the box to create your own new path, and making that determination and taking those first steps is critical. We are in charge of our own happiness and a happier, more fulfilled mom leads to happier children.
I want people to open the curtain and find not a pay-no-mind-to woman, but to see instead that there actually is a giant, floating, magical wizard back there. Someone who is interesting and intelligent and not only had a very interesting career before raising her children, but has exciting new endeavors in her future, as well. I think it's time to pull the curtain back.
For more on this journey of self-rediscovery and to perhaps help you on a journey of your own, whether it's getting back into a career, finding ways to achieve a life-long goal, or to even become a more fulfilled homemaker, visit my blog at www.mommysoffice.com, so we can take this journey together.
