It was a long 28 hours, but finally at 9:50 pm, my daughter was born. I took one look at her tiny little face and precious fingernails and fell in love. In that moment, my life changed. Forever.
I didn’t know it then, though. I was still planning on an 8 week maternity leave and going back to my great job in advertising as a writer. When the time came to go back to work at the office, I knew the work I loved had been replaced by another stronger and more important love: my daughter. I made the choice, then, to quit my job and take on an even more important one, full time mom.
It was not a popular choice at the time. Feminism was at its height and working outside the home was considered to be the new women’s choice. But my heart knew my choice was the right one for me. It was scary to go from two incomes to one but with my husband’s support and partnership, we made it work for both our children.
In the 29 years since my life changed, I've had many challenges but I’ve never regretted choosing my children first. And even though I don’t work in an office anymore, I still write and create. Now I work in my own office or studio and I’m my own (and sometimes really demanding) boss.
In honor of my daughter’s birthday, here’s a poem I wrote about 29 years ago waking up to my new life.
Silence and darkness
Enfold me in a warm blanket
And softly creeps away to morning.
The hush springs into song as one lone bird calls to another
And the black sky lightens to charcoal, then gray.
Just as the day rises slowly, so does another
Joining the music outside is the first yawn, stretch and call of my child waking.
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