I have watched a video of Sheryl Sandberg on http://www.ted.com. She's the COO of Facebook. Very powerful woman. She gave a talk about why we have few women leaders. And I was like, "ang galing naman nito." And she touched on some things that ring true to me.
In one portion of her speech, she mentioned about "making your partner, a real partner." This is so true in our household. Parenting is shared responsibility. So is doing household chores. So is everything else. I must give credit to my better half for being "better" and being my "half". I knew I wouldn't have the luxury of pursuing a career if my husband doesn't back me up. Or has a different concept of shared responsibility.
Then she really grabbed me with this part - "Once you have a child at home, your job (should) better be really good (for you) to go back, because it's hard to leave that kid at home -- your job needs to be challenging. It needs to be rewarding. You need to feel like you're making a difference. And if two years ago you didn't take a promotion and some guy next to you did, if three years ago you stopped looking for new opportunities, you're going to be bored because you should have kept your foot on the gas pedal. Don't leave before you leave. Stay in. Keep your foot on the gas pedal, until the very day you need to leave to take a break for a child -- and then make your decisions."
Like her, I am a working mom. And I know in my heart, that I was cut out for it. Like a cookie-cutter to a freshly kneaded dough. And sometimes, I felt a tinge of guilt that I don't feel guilty being a working mom. I feel that my job is an integral part of myself... an extension. It doesn't just pay the bills. It broadens my horizon... opens a lot of windows for creative expression... and gives me opportunities to make a difference and touch many lives. Looking at my 12 years in the workforce, I realized that my work contributed immensely in honing me to be a better version of myself... and a better version of a mom for two wonderful girls.
As a working mom, I need to choose my battles. Yes, I have to make some sacrifices. And let me be very clear in saying that I made the conscious choice to make every single one of them. But I have no regrets. I pray that my girls will be good decision makers. To make the choices they feel is right and necessary, at the very time they need to make them. I also want them to realize that they're in charge of their own lives. If in the future they find themselves at the crossroad of choosing between being a stay at home mom or a working mom, I hope they take their passion into consideration. I pray that they'll find enough passion in life to have the courage to pursue what makes them happy and fulfilled, may it be in the home or in the workforce... even if it's difficult, even if it's unconventional. Because for me, a passionate life is the only life worth living.
