Summer is over for us, and as I leave Singapore once more to return only in the winter months, a new season has begun. Through the years, I found that I have to first be where I am needed by my family and then find a career or my calling in whatever situation I find myself in. Life for me as a mother is about brightening the corner where I have to be.
This time round, it means to take a long leave from my job. In preparation, I have already rounded meaningful projects I would like to work on for the next few months, i.e. to create courses and build a small company that will create value for others.
Just like many of my graduate girlfriends, I had high hopes for my career when I went to the university. In those days, only the top 5% were graduates, and I was a post graduate. I thought I would have a really great career. I did, but in an unexpected way.
Over the years, I saw many of my really smart, respectable friends give up their careers to look after their families. Some were partners in law firms, some gave up their practice as doctors or sold their businesses, other good honors graduates quit their engineering, accounting and HR jobs for a higher calling to be mothers.
I am one of the fortunate ones who manages to marry full-time work with a big family, and the only way I could do it was to be flexible and do whatever small things I could in whatever situation I find myself in.
As my older daughter graduates and as my son faces challenges in his new phase of life, I found it necessary to spend more time to transformed myself into a career counselor and coach. Once more, I leave my own career comfort zone to find my own value add in the wilderness.
I look forward to more exciting journeys with the children, and continue to seek out good prospects wherever I may have to go to support them. Life as a mother is exciting that way, I have never placed my career a priority, yet even so, I have been blessed with exciting career choices.
And one more time, I know not what the outcome will be, just that it will be good. I will continue to brighten the corner where I am.
The Gift of Education > Asian or Western
