Two of my favorite blogs talked about Sarah
Palin yesterday...
The Marathon Mama and the
Brazen Careerist. I am sure you know that she was recently chosen by John McCain to be his Vice
Presidential running mate, and that she is currently the Governor of Alaska. Politics aside, did you also know that she has 5 kids, aged 17 years old to 5 months, and that the youngest is a special needs child?
I can't decide if I am in awe, or if I think she is nuts... her son is younger than Norah, plus she's got a house full already! Figuring out the balance of being a working and resolving it within myself continues to be one of my greatest challenges as a new mother...maybe it gets easier after 3 or 4? I thought starting a new job with a remote boss was challenging, never mind commuting to Alaska! It's true that if she were a man/Dad, I probably wouldn't even be thinking or talking about her kids (I have no idea of Joe
Biden's family situation for instance) but she's a new mom, like me, and I am.
I just returned from Canada, where a few of my relatives with young children have recently returned from a year or more of maternity leave, where their jobs were held for them upon their return. They were, by and large, appalled by the lack of maternity leave here in the US (and all things considered, I was very fortunate) I also talked to a few of my aunts, who were forced to actually QUIT their jobs when they became pregnant 30 or 40 years ago -- compared to them, I guess I've got it good!
Being a woman in a male dominated field like Engineering has always made be acutely aware of women's issues in the work place, though more as a hobby or area of interest than anything I've
truly felt affected by. I wonder if that will change now? I've found it harder to concentrate, impossible to work late, and frankly, some days I just want to go home and snuggle with Norah!
Ironically, I've never been so clear in my life about what I want from my job or my career as I am now that I have become a mother. I want to work hard and contribute at something that allows me to come home on time at night with time and energy left for my family. If I could continue to have the flexibility I have now, that would be a bonus too. I know and have made a
conscious decision that my career isn't at the top of the list for the time being.
I don't know what the right answer is, and I don't know if I think running for Vice President of the US with a 5 month old is a step forwards or backwards. It will be interesting to see how things look a couple of decades from now, when my own daughter is making her way into the working world.
