[Fourteenth and Final installment – If you are new to this journey, start at the 1st chapter in my 8 months pregnant with 2 broken legs journey as chronicled in my book Say Bump and Take a Left, How I Birthed a Baby and a Business after a Huge Bump in the Road.]
Chapter 7
Never, Never, Never Give Up Breathing Water?
Since that date, I have had to consciously decide to never give up, or give in! 65% of the WAHM’s I have met online and in person are working from home only until they can earn enough money to hire a full time babysitter, nanny or “decent” day care. In other words, their business (and consequently their ego) is more important than the actual staying at home with the kids.
It was hard enough defending my decision to work 4 days a week in a corporate environment in 1998, then more difficult to work part time in the cut-throat world of Head Hunting Techies in 2000, I thought I wouldn’t have to justify actually wanting to stay home with my kids when I joined the WAHM community. Not so. I found out that I was still traveling this grassy path that wanted wear, and would be doing so for the rest of my life, no matter what I do next, and those not on the path with me would always look at me as if I had gills and green scaly skin.
Surprisingly, fulfilling this WAHM goal opened my eyes further to realize another goal I didn’t even know I had. I discovered countless other people and their businesses I could support to do the same. Yes, we are the minority, but there are billions of people, honey, so there are lots of us! This provided a wonderful twist to my traditional business model. I decided not to hire employees, but to contract work from vendors and support small businesses like mine.
I have had countless experiences confirming that I made the right decision, the most recent of which was not so pleasant. My wonderful Mother-in-Law died suddenly four months after a successful mastectomy and light chemotherapy treatments for her Breast Cancer. The cancer had already spread to her bones, unbeknownst to the Doctors, and mine was the last face she saw and the last voice she heard before passing away. 30 short years knowing and loving her taught me that time is really all we have, and how we spend that time is what determines the life we live and the true legacy we leave through the lives we touch. I really don’t want to get to the end of my life and look into the faces of my loved ones with my eyes full of regret for all the things I didn’t do or say. I don’t want that to be the last thing they see of me. If I don’t continue to invest in my children and family now, maybe no one will be there to look into my eyes as I die. I know that no fancy new car or larger, more lavishly furnished house is more important than spending time with my family, and showing them love.
I wish I didn’t need the experience of breaking my legs while pregnant to teach me many lessons like:
don’t let fear hold me back from trying something new and believing in myself,
nothing is as bad or as hard as it initially seems,
be humble enough to slow down and enjoy life,
don’t let arrogance fool me into thinking I can control everything,
say it now, don’t wait for tomorrow unless I have no choice,
do it now, too,
when feeling down, do something kind for someone else – it will always make me feel better.
Ah well . . . thankfully I didn’t break my neck. Hence, my favorite poem now beautifully framed in my family room, and my choice to continue on this less traveled road. So far, it has led me to incredible places full of amazing experiences.
Which fork in the road will I take next?
Whichever I choose!
You know the saying, “Whoever ends up with the most toys wins.”?
Well I have changed that to:
“Whoever ends up with the most amazing, life altering experiences by personally and positively touching the lives of the most people wins.”
Getting married, graduating from college, riding horses daily on the beach, losing two potential bumps, growing two precious bumps, breaking bones, starting a business, losing a loved one and writing a book are sketches of my experiences thus far?
I hope you don’t need a break in your life to get you to believe in yourself.
Where is your road leading you? Is it a sparsely populated, grassy road or are you following the backside of the other horses on the trail?
What adventures and dreams are you chasing?
Who will be with you when you reach its end?
Which of the hopefully many amazing experiences will you reminisce with them about most?
What will they see in your eyes?
As you play out your life on this earthly stage . . . ‘Break a leg’ – hopefully not two.
~Mary Kathryn Johnson
Author ~ Entrepreneur ~ Mom
