Seasons.
A wise, older female physician once gave me what I consider to be fantastic advice:
"As a female doctor, you might be able to do everything, but you can't do everything at once." She was talking mostly (I think) about how you can be both a doctor and a mom, but the career you have while doing both is probably not going to look the same as a man's or someone who is single, i.e. - the job you can do while you have young children will probably not be the most ideal job you can imagine. Maybe it's part time. Maybe it doesn't involve call, teaching, hospital work, OB call, or whatever it is that you want to be doing.
I actually think the advice works in most situations - not just for us female doctors. Many of the women I know have desires to be doing lots of great things - working, mothering, crafting, mercy ministry, writing bible studies, you name it - but right now they have young children/ busy jobs/ homeschool/ other commitments that prevent it. It is easy to get frustrated or beat ourselves up because many of the other things we want to be doing are good things. For instance, I would love to be able to do more medical missions trips or be involved in other mercy ministries. But since having a certain cute little person about 19 months ago, it just hasn't been possible. And I have realized that is ok. This is the season I'm in - when I work only 1 week a month and spend the rest of my time chasing, entertaining, and cleaning up after him. And it is wonderful. I love my son and I love what he brings to our family, even if that means that other things take a back seat. There will be other seasons when I can do more of the other things I love doing.
When I started this post, I wanted to explain why I haven't been posting as much lately. I guess it's about a lot more than that now. This past week was super busy - I was making three cakes for my dad's birthday party, finishing a book page wreath (like this one), priming a cute little table and chairs so I can repaint them for Judah, and trying to get the house super clean so that we could go away this weekend and be ready to start a whole work week. (None of which would have been possible if my dear husband was working. Thanks, honey for all your help!) I love the writing and the blogging that I do here, but I am realizing that just like everything else, I cannot feel guilty or beat myself up when I cannot do it. I cannot do everything at once. This is not some kind of announcement that I'm going to stop blogging, but a recognition that there are some weeks (like the one that is about to start) when I am busy and so I can't do everything I want to.
What about you? What are you hoping to do in a different season?
"As a female doctor, you might be able to do everything, but you can't do everything at once." She was talking mostly (I think) about how you can be both a doctor and a mom, but the career you have while doing both is probably not going to look the same as a man's or someone who is single, i.e. - the job you can do while you have young children will probably not be the most ideal job you can imagine. Maybe it's part time. Maybe it doesn't involve call, teaching, hospital work, OB call, or whatever it is that you want to be doing.
I actually think the advice works in most situations - not just for us female doctors. Many of the women I know have desires to be doing lots of great things - working, mothering, crafting, mercy ministry, writing bible studies, you name it - but right now they have young children/ busy jobs/ homeschool/ other commitments that prevent it. It is easy to get frustrated or beat ourselves up because many of the other things we want to be doing are good things. For instance, I would love to be able to do more medical missions trips or be involved in other mercy ministries. But since having a certain cute little person about 19 months ago, it just hasn't been possible. And I have realized that is ok. This is the season I'm in - when I work only 1 week a month and spend the rest of my time chasing, entertaining, and cleaning up after him. And it is wonderful. I love my son and I love what he brings to our family, even if that means that other things take a back seat. There will be other seasons when I can do more of the other things I love doing.
When I started this post, I wanted to explain why I haven't been posting as much lately. I guess it's about a lot more than that now. This past week was super busy - I was making three cakes for my dad's birthday party, finishing a book page wreath (like this one), priming a cute little table and chairs so I can repaint them for Judah, and trying to get the house super clean so that we could go away this weekend and be ready to start a whole work week. (None of which would have been possible if my dear husband was working. Thanks, honey for all your help!) I love the writing and the blogging that I do here, but I am realizing that just like everything else, I cannot feel guilty or beat myself up when I cannot do it. I cannot do everything at once. This is not some kind of announcement that I'm going to stop blogging, but a recognition that there are some weeks (like the one that is about to start) when I am busy and so I can't do everything I want to.
What about you? What are you hoping to do in a different season?
Comments