My first encountering with a working woman wasn’t until I was older. I was a lucky kid, my parents had it worked out so that my mom could stay at home and raise the six hellions. She was with us constantly, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Growing up, I thought that I would be in a similar situation to my mother’s. I would be married young,I would have lots and lots of babies, and I would enjoy spending time with my family. I wouldn’t be working. It’s not that working was a bad thing, but it was the only thing I had seen at this point in my life.
When I graduated from college I realized that was not going to be the plan for me. I wasn’t married, I wasn’t even close, I mean I had Tinder but it was getting me nowhere. I couldn’t be a stay at home mom with no kids, that’s just creepy. I was in shock, reality had finally seeped into my life and I realized I was going to become a “working girl” (not a street corner one, but a business one). My first thoughts of becoming a working girl where ones of anxiety and worry, but all of these fears have now been shattered. I left college and I got a job. At first I felt disappointed in myself, because I had wanted to become a mom, that is in no way a secret, and thought that my singleness was my fault (it probably was). I forged a new path, I have become a business woman- I wear work pants. I work 8-5. I have PTO. I have a desk. I have clients. I have a 401(k). I just finished my first book launch, it was an adventure and I loved every minute of it. I am working with a new client and am setting up a social media scope of work for them. If you would have set this scenario up for me 10 years ago I would have laughed, it was something that I couldn’t even imagine at the time. I would have thought, it sounds great but it’s not in my plan!
Plans change. It’s a thing.
In the culture I live in, getting married and having children signifies actual adulthood. I am 24, not married (yet…), and am rarely recognized as an adult. It can be frustrating and limiting if you focus on it. Since graduating college I have tried my best to not let my ringless hand limit me. Marriage is something of worth and should be sought after at the right time for you. Until you reach that time in life don’t limit yourself, live a life that you can be proud of, that when you do get married you can look back and have no regrets. There might be some who don’t ever have the chance to be married. don’t let that hold you back either, there are so many great things to be done that can impact many.
Okay perhaps it was a ranting post, but you get the point ๐
I guess we just never know what the Lord has in store for us… cause I thought I would become like a CEO of an engineering firm like 7 years ago… weird. I think you’re doing great!
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That’s what I love! Is that it’s a plan that turns out better than we imagined. I think you make a great mom ๐
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I seriously love this post–you said it all so clearly and simply. I am the youngest in my family and have always been frustrated by not being seen as an adult. After my mission I remember times my siblings would explain things to me like I was a child and I wanted to be like “I didn’t need any of your babytalk the last 18mos. I did just fine without these explanations!!!” haha. My sisinlaw is younger than me and she was treated like an adult and that frustrated me SO much. When I got married it was like everybody was like “welcome to the club” and I hated that. Now that I’m married…I am about to be the only sibling without kids haha. I guess I’ll just never catch up and be a real adult. Sorry for the long comment. I just really related to this post haha! You’re legit, Clare. A legit legit adult hahah.
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