Tuesday, January 5, 2010

New Year, New Venture

Sorry it's taken so long for the big reveal. Things didn't quite go according to plan, but that has worked out for the best. So what's the big news, the life change, the announcement?

After more than nine years as a stay-at-home mom (with some part-time work thrown in here and there), I am going back to work full time! I have been hired as the executive director of a brand new ministry to women in crisis. Our building is currently being renovated, and we are preparing to open in the Spring. In the meantime, I have much to learn and much to do. I've set up a temporary office in my dining room until the building is finished. I have to write procedures, create a database, raise funds, attend conferences and training... The list goes on.

I wasn't looking to go back to work. I had settled in at home content to keep house (Well, I do the laundry regularly and cook sometimes!), to pursue my creative interests, and to volunteer at church and school. However, over the course of the several months that it took for this development to come to fruition, it has become very clear that I didn't choose the job; it was chosen for me, and that is a great comfort as I contemplate the coming changes around here. I can be confident that I will be equipped to handle what is come.

I don't know how my hobbies will be affected. I certainly won't have as much "free time." But like most people I've talked to about it, the more free time I have, the less likely I am to use it well. My husband thinks I will enjoy my creative pursuits even more because they will be something I do for fun and relaxation rather than with professional ambitions in mind. I hope he is right.