Well, it has been a while. Honestly, I have missed you! I have been living through the adjustment of being a working mommy who travels lately, and it has been quite the ride!
Recruiting university students to work for #mycompany, a major, global healthcare organization requires a lot of travel during the fall season. This is my first fall since having Emerson home, so it has been quite the experience. Many people asked what I was going to do about work prior to him coming home since my job requires travel, to which my response has been, “it’s my job, so we will figure it out”.
I don’t think there is any mom out there who elects to be apart from their child, however, when it is a job (and company) that you love and that helps you sustain life, you make it work. In my case, the majority of my trips are short and the bulk of the travel happens during Sept-Nov. Though I miss my son and husband immensely while traveling, I could not imagine being in a different role at this time. This is the work that fuels me and helps me live out my passion of helping others make an impact.
On the home front, I am so blessed to have my husband who is able to hold down the fort while mommy is away working, and does not mind doing it. This support from my husband means everything to me. It allows me to do what I feel I have been called to do in this season of my life, which helps me to have a healthy work-life balance. It also does not hurt to work for a company where the health and wellness of employees are prioritized and family truly does come first. I always know there is flexibility if we ever have a family emergency or something going on with Emerson.
I hope this can be an inspiration to other working and/or traveling moms who consistently experience mommy guilt because of it. Mommy guilt is easily harbored for almost anything because we want to be and do it all for our little ones. The reality is, we are only human and we have to be patient with ourselves. Here is my approach to getting through work trips and not allowing myself to be overcome with mommy guilt:
- FaceTime everyday (even if only for a quick 5-10min)
- Daddy sending at least one photo each day
- Countdown the sleeps until the last day
These may seem like small things, but they really help me when I am on the road. Do you have a job that requires time away from home? Do you live in the mommy guilt? I would love to hear your story in the comments!
P.S. Help us raise money for high risk and NICU families by donating to Emerson’s Brave Champions for the High Risk Hope Tot Trot!
Medical Mommy 