Day 9 - If You Could Have Any Job in the World, What Would it Be?

I was thinking and thinking and thinking about this.  I have had a very long career at a job I love.  I don't always love it, but, for the most part - it's been an awesome job and career.  I always tell people that I want to work at an airline, because I want to have the benefit of flying wherever and whenever I wanted - so if I had thought about it years ago - instead of law enforcement, I probably should have found a job in the travel industry - - but, that didn't work.  And, I fully intend one day to have those flight benefits.

But, I am thinking of what I would have loved my career to be.  If I could have chosen the path of my life, I would have chosen to be a stay-at-home mom.  I can't think of a more fulfilling career than to have been more available to my kids and been there more for them.  My kids were raised by a mom who worked away from the home and spent a lot of time away from home.  I worked shift work, so there were days they never even saw me.  I worked holidays, so they were raised having Easter a week earlier or a week later; Thanksgiving a day earlier or a day later; Christmas was always Christmas - but, who knows what time it would have been celebrated or how.  I didn't have a choice financially, because during a lot of time they were growing up, I was the sole bread winner and supported my little brood.

I was never very organized while my kids were growing up - I felt it was much more important to spend time with my kids than to do the dishes, because I may not get to spend the next day with them.  I wanted to be available to help them with their homework and such.  I almost felt, at times, they were rather neglected because I was not always there for them and that if I had been more available and there for them, maybe they would have done better in school, or socially, or life, or everything.  I just didn't always feel I was there for them during their formative years when I should have been, because I was working.

I watch my daughter with her kids - never a more involved and wonderful mom is there.  I envy her that she gets to stay at home and raise her kids and spend time with them while they are so young and learning so much - it's an awesome, awesome thing.  She and her husband sacrifice so much for her to be there with the kids - and I can't imagine a more worthy cause to sacrifice for.