It has been almost two months since I last wrote on this blog. A lot of great things has happened since then. Some of the highlights:
-I turned 45.
– Reggie and I celebrated our 16th Anniversary (?!)
– Michael graduated from middle school while Sean graduated from elementary school.
Overall life has been fun and full. I love working with the youth and family ministry and I have enjoyed working on some fun, profitable work projects. I also really enjoyed completing my first year as a parent leader as part of my district’s Community Education Council. As many of you know, NYC has a new Chancellor and I’m excited to see what changes will occur.
What’s Next?
I’m happy that the first part of the year went well overall. What I realized at a lunch yesterday is that I need to take a pause to celebrate the victories of life instead of constantly focusing on what is next. I was at a media lunch (which I will write more about next week) and I was talking with the people surrounding me. When someone asked me about my career background, I shared about my journey from working in investment banking (pre-child) to starting this site in order to work from home around my kids’ schedules. After hearing about the kids’ graduations, one of the women exclaimed, “You did it!”
I reflected on the conversation on the train ride home. She was right. By God’s grace, I did do it! I have been able to do what I had set out to do in regards to work and family. Actually, it’s been more than I asked or imagined. My initial goal was to be able to work from home until both kids were in full-day school. I would have never imagined that my online work would have given me the privilege of doing that and so much more. (How am I old enough to have an elementary and middle school graduate?!) I’m grateful!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…
-Ephesians 3:20-21
But Really, What’s Next?
Honestly, I have no idea. I’m clear on the fact that I don’t want to do my passions (ministry and educational advocacy) for a paycheck. I’m also clear that I no longer want parenting blogging to be my profession. It was great while it was great but I’m no longer interested in it as a career. It has served its purpose and I’m very grateful for all of the relationships. experiences and financial blessings that blogging has brought over the last 13 years. I’ll probably always have a blog of some type as a hobby though. I’m waiting until the end of the summer to make final plans, but I’ll probably just blog under my name. (If you know of anyone who might be interested in taking over the mominthecity.com or foodiecitymom.com domains, please tell them to contact me. Otherwise, I’ll probably just redirect everything to one central site.)
The truth of the matter is that I’m not that worried. My “next steps” (career-wise) have never come from my planning. Rather, it comes out of the blue. For instance, I just knew that I would work for Time Inc. (my last corporate job). I was on a date with a guy (not Reggie) and we walked past their midtown offices and I blurted out, “I’m going to work there one day.” Less than a year later, I did. Even with becoming a parenting writer (with no experience) after Michael was born, I just knew that I wasn’t going to leave my cute, chunky baby with anyone else. I had no idea that I would end up being a lifestyle blogger and then a parenting consultant, a web developer, and trainer, etc., etc. Each thing just flowed naturally. I’m excited to see where the next “wave” will take me.
Meanwhile, we’re going to Universal Florida as a graduation gift for the boys in July. Both boys have aced every year of school so far and we want to reward their consistent effort. (Truthfully, I think that my husband is more excited than any of us about this trip! 🙂 ) I’m excited too because “travel” was one of the things that I realized was missing from 2017 when I reviewed the year. We only have four more summers before our oldest is off to college so I definitely intend on making the most of them! I also have one major website project (for an Educational Opportunity Center) in my queue and a couple of other extended weekend trips planned. Other than that, I’m (somewhat) unscheduled until September.
I’ll be popping in to write a few more posts this summer, but I just want to take this time to say “THANK YOU” to all of my longtime Mom in the City readers for helping me to make my “work around my family’s schedule” dreams a reality for the last 13+ years. I truly appreciate it! Enjoy your summer!