Finding the perfect work-life balance is a struggle for many people. I feel honored to be a partner of RSG and to be able to lead such an amazing organization. We have a very special group of talented people who have come together in the perfect storm. My career is something that I treasure and something that I need in my life. It gives me purpose and keeps me happy. In my 20’s when I was single and kid-free, I dedicated a large portion of my life to being an RSG employee and would burn the midnight oil on my own accord, because I love the work that we do.
Over a decade later, I am a wife and a mother of two. My family keeps me grounded, and raising my children gives me hope for the future. Their innocence is truly amazing. Being a mother isn’t a right; it is a gift. It is my job to create decent human beings who contribute to the world. Trying to find the right balance as a career woman and a mother isn’t always clear cut. Once you are a mother, you always feel guilty about something. My typical work day requires me to be away from my children for 10 hours. I have asked myself “Am I doing the right thing?” “Should I stay home with my kids?” “Are they going to regret having a working mom?” I don’t think there are any right answers to this, and the job of a stay-at-home mom is not easy either.
I found comfort in this article in CNN Money that says the children of working moms are better off. It helped to ease my mind that I am actually helping my children be more balanced individuals by being a working mom. My mother was the main provider in my household when I was growing up. Though I missed her when she wasn’t able to come to my sporting events or see me on the homecoming court, I have the ultimate respect and appreciation for the woman who carved my path to financial freedom and funded my college education.
Take heart, working parents. You are doing the right thing.
Written by Tara Matthews, a Principal at RSG.