Tag Archives: Women and Transition: Reinventing Work and Life

A shield

“They only talked about their children,” said my exasperated friend Stephanie.  She and her family recently relocated to Phoenix thanks to her husband’s new job.  Once on the ground she met women in various places;  the nursery school, the transfer station, the local IEEE chapter.   She had high hopes when she hosted a networking event in her home.  Needless to say she sounded crestfallen as she described the evening.  Most of those she invited were working part-time or trying to re-engage in the full-time workforce.  A few were entrepreneurs.  “Don’t they get it?”  Continue reading

Simple Gifts…

I made an observation last night as I was sitting in our dining room with some old friends who stopped by.  We talked and laughed.  We learned about how the holidays were taking shape within each of our respective lives.   It was lighthearted.  But I knew that there was a lot missing from our conversation.  One of our comrades had recently lost a parent, two others were in the throes of job searches, still another had recently chosen to undergo cosmetic surgery.   One was exhaling – thankfully exhaling – since an adult child who had previously struggled with substance abuse was in a good place.  Blessedly. Continue reading

Is transition for me…

“How do I know I am ready for all of this?” asked a woman who attended a talk I gave on Tuesday evening at our local independently owned bookstore. Picture folding chairs tucked in and around narrowly arranged aisles of books.  Her question was an honest one.  Transition seems like a big undertaking. Full of risk.  Is it for everyone? Continue reading

Our Steps

We caught ourselves at the very last second.  Our hands reached out to grab a nearby wall.  My neighbor and I were on our morning walk.  We walk laps around our town for an hour at dawn most days.  5:30 am.  It is typically dark or nearly so.   Who knew that brick sidewalks could be as treacherous as ice when coated with a layer of fallen leaves?   As we started to slip we froze in an effort to stop from falling.  For an instant fear consumed us. Continue reading

The courage of starting…

“I don’t know if I told you,” shared a friend, “but I left my job.”  It was my son’s first day of school.  Chaos swirled around me.  Kids. Parents.  The occasional dog. A forgotten backpack.  Above the din my friend’s tone was mildly apologetic.  While I saw a little sparkle in the corner of her eye, something weighed heavily on her.  Was it fear that I saw?  Shame? Continue reading