When you become a mom, your priorities change. I always dreamed of being a mom, and honestly, my dream job is being a full-time mother. But I also believe it’s important for moms to chase their dreams. The truth is, when mothers decide to work, it can get really hard.
Many of us don’t always get to choose where we work. Often, opportunities are far from home. When I was interviewing for jobs, I’ll be honest I felt depressed. Like, what do you mean I have to go to work? Life in the U.S. is expensive, and after my husband and I went through a season of layoffs, money was tight.
Every time I showed up for an interview, one question was always at the back of my mind: How many hours will I be away from my baby? Mom guilt is real and that’s a whole other blog.
When I got calls for interviews in cities two hours away, I was excited. I’d get to work with top companies doing what I love. But then I paused … does it really matter if I love my work if it keeps me away from my baby? I hoped a closer opportunity would reach out. Nothing. Why were all these jobs so far from my baby?
I would picture my baby crying, needing me, while I’d wake up at 5 a.m., beat traffic to make it to work by 9, get out at 5 p.m., sit in traffic for two more hours, and finally see him around 7 or 8. Maybe he’d be asleep. Maybe not. I was still breastfeeding at the time, and pumping wasn’t even something I wanted to think about. Even if money was tight, I wanted to be there to nurture my baby because these are the moments money can’t buy back.
Months went by. Rent, bills, and life got more expensive. No income coming in made it harder. Many people think being a mother is easy it’s not. It’s hard for all of us, and we all have our struggles.
Later, when I finally started working, my baby was a bit older, but I had a new challenge, how do I tell him that Mommy won’t be here 24/7 anymore? How do I tell the mother in me that he’ll be okay even if he cries? All I could think about were his naps, whether he ate, if he used his diaper, and if he needed Mommy’s hugs. It’s so hard.
Then came one of the biggest opportunities of my life an opportunity that could have changed my family’s lifestyle. But it would have meant being away from my baby for 3-4 months. I had to turn it down. At that moment, I remembered my main dream: being a mother. Even if it was an opportunity I would have loved in a different season of life, nothing beats time with my baby. Even being away for a few hours gives me mom guilt. I couldn’t imagine being gone for months.
So, moms, it’s important to dream. It’s also important to prioritize our children. Women should chase their goals, but at what cost? These early moments with our babies won’t come back. My mother always told me, “No des lo mucho por lo menos,” which means, “Don’t give more than what you will receive.”
In my case, giving up time with my baby for the opportunity of a lifetime was giving up the most important part of my life for something I couldn’t get back. Sometimes opportunities test us, but the best decisions come from listening to our hearts. Every mom does what is best for her baby and sometimes that means saying no, even when it’s hard. *will share the opportunity I turned down when it goes live since release date has not been announced yet*