HImom

As my kids started their post HS lives, I made a major career shift from law to public health & am busy improving the world in my own way. It is very gratifying and keeps me very happy and busy, learning so many things, networking and serving people. It is fascinating and uses all the skills I have, including some long dormant and others I didn't know or forgot I had. I am grateful that hubby is able to support us sufficiently that I can go this route, since the $$ compensation is much lower than my prior profession, but I have no regrets. My hubby & kids are proud of this new career!

I just recently reached the mid-century mark. With the family genes, I may well have another 50+ years to go, so it's exciting to be starting this new career. It was honestly more wrenching to lose my younger kid to preschool than this younger child to college 2500 miles away. Maybe it's because I know how happy she is & how hard she worked to get there, maybe it's because there are currently so many challenges facing me in my new career that I haven't had too much time to think about it, maybe it's because she will be home for the summer, starting in May.

My kiddos both had a lot of chronic health issues and I'm ever so glad that they appear to be making lives for themselves in college, so the happiness outshines the rest at this point. Due to their health, I had a lot of hassles from their middle school & HS, so my feelings toward both are bittersweet. I think I'll really feel it more when and if the kids decide to settle and start their families thousands of miles from me. I have a lot of extended family (including my parents, sibs & their families) within miles of me, so that helps a lot too.