Not Worring...but Now What?

I am going on 6 months of "not working." Yes, I put not working in quotes because I do work -- at home. I resigned from my job not long after Lily started treatment to be home for my family. During these months of being a stay-at-home mom, I've settled into my own daily routine. I'm so thankful to be home just to see the kids get on and off the bus since it was one of my worries this school year.

Once the kids are off in the morning, I drink my coffee, read my Bible and meditations from The Word Among Us, and talk to Alex the Cat who sits at the window seal. It's quite and peaceful. Whether the birds chirp or the rain pours, it's so refreshing. I'm happy to have gotten back into my morning prayer time, too. I feel like I've found an old friend again.

Mondays have become my laundry day and every other week, I do my big house cleaning. Family budget reconciling is daily and I have switch the majority of my shopping online thanks to Amazon Prime and my Melaleuca membership. I can't tell you how much this has cut down impulse buying and provided healthier lifestyle options for our family, so much so that I've become a rep for the company. I'd love to share more about Melaleuca's products. If you are curious, send me a message via my contact form on the side bar. I also spend a portion of my daytime working to build my invitation and party printables design business by filling orders on my Etsy shop and other special projects.

I've enjoyed being home -- it's the least I've been stressed in years, despite so many life-changing challenges. I know this was all part of God's plan to see me through Lily's cancer journey and my grandmother's untimely death. I was where I needed to be for my family. 

We were blessed to receive such unexpected, generous support and loving understanding from family and friends during this time. But, I pinned the month of March as my red flag month. The month where, OMG how are we going to pay for this and that? would start. Worry, stress, and anxiety were creeping their ugly faces out on Tuesday night when I was crunching our family budget and the reality of it hit. Once again, God listened and spoke to me the next morning when both of my daily meditations were about "not worrying." As I've surprisingly handled everything this past year, I took it in, relaxed, and assured myself that things will work out as it has been. 

Although life is back to normal and I stay busy with mom-work and my growing little side jobs, I know it's time to get back into the "real working world" because it's just not enough to contribute to our family needs at this time. Besides, being creative is a passion I enjoy too much - which usually means lots of extra uncompensated hours ;)

I admit, I've been picky about where I'm submitting my resume. I know, it's not the best way to go about finding a job. I guess I feel as I'm pushing closer to 40 years old, I understand my qualifications, know what I do and don't like to do, what is and what isn't a priority, etc. One thing I know for certain is that I really want to work closer to home to continue to be available as needed for the kids. In the past, I've made some career changes in hopes of development and advancement. Some of these choices have been great and some...lets just say I've learned the grass is not greener on the other side. However, job searching at my age is a double-edge sword. I look at this time as a chance to start over or even try something new, but on other side I feel like I'm a new college grad again having to prove myself... sigh...

So, recently I've made the decision to try my luck at substitute teaching, at least until something permanent and more closely related to my experience comes along. My mom was a teacher, my cousin is a master teacher and my grandmother was a substitute teacher...so I figure I have some natural ability, right? LOL!

I know I won't be as cool as this...

I pray I won't be like this...

I hope I'm exactly like this....

 

Did you watch this clip until the end? It's so great! LOL!!!

Feel free to comment and share any substitute teaching or career advice below - I'll take it all :)

Whatever new career path I take, I want it to be one that I enjoy, where I can pave the road nicer than it was before, and where I can grow both personally and professionally on that journey.

xxoo,
Juliet