Prior to getting married and having children, my mind was fixed on writing the whole alphabet after my name. Immediately out of high school, I went to a vocational school to obtain a certificate to be a licensed practical nurse. My journey into becoming a registered nurse instilled immense motivation in me to achieve all the dreams I had for my career. Of course, over the years that I worked in health care and experienced a wide array of specialties, my future shifted.
The one goal that remained ingrained in me was to earn a master’s degree in nursing and become an advanced practice nurse.
When I should have been studying, I would write my name with the credentials behind it. When I should have been charting, I would envision my name with the credentials behind it. Once you earn one designation, it feels good and empowering to earn another. Licenses, certifications, specialties, degrees, you name it. While they’re just acronyms written in professional settings or legal purposes, it is an achievement. A goal met. A dream fulfilled.
Fast forward to my future, boy, how it unfolded differently. My time outside of work eventually became filled with a marriage and two children that are 16 months apart, during which my dreams adjusted again. With every struggle in motherhood, I started dreaming of becoming a better mom, a better wife, and a better me. It was a generic dream, but a meaningful one. My career was special to me, but my real job and my main priority were the humans at home that I loved deeply, so I pushed my career to the back burner, and I owned the credentials: MOM.
I’m now raising a 4-year-old and a 3-year-old, and I’m working resource in an inpatient hospice facility. My career remained on the back burner until I made the brash decision this year to return to school. I wondered how it would work, where I would find the time, and how my family would react. After a lot of late-night conversations with my husband, I applied to graduate school, and I was accepted.
I realized during this very long journey that things definitely happen as they should.
It is okay to have a life outside of motherhood and marriage. It is okay to put your past dreams to the side for a while and create new ones. It is okay to completely change the course of your life. I think that’s one of the beauties in life – we can achieve what we put our mind to, even if it changes a million times. A dream is a dream, and it can be met.
I’m still owning the certified motherhood credential, proudly raising two beautiful and healthy children, loving my husband, and making incredible memories. But I’m also doing what I’ve always dreamt of. Soon, I’ll have those little letters behind my name to show for it, and if there ever lies an ounce of guilt in me for making this decision, those little letters will not only empower me but also prove to my children that they can reach for the stars and catch one.
