Life can be planned to an extent, but interests change. Change… If anyone asked me a year back if I would have been a wife to someone or even a mother, I would have chuckled. With many different ways I could have went with my life, I picked one of the hardest but most rewarding jobs. The blessing of being a mother is one thing and the privilege of being an attorney is another.
My whole life, the idea of being one with someone was never something I imagined to do. The idea of marriage, children, and law school never occurred to me in my future plans. A husband and a baby later, I can say that it was the best thing I did not plan. The things I least expected turn out to be the most rewarding gifts in life. As I became a mother, I decided in that moment that I would keep my work life and my social life very separate. Once I became a mother, I learned the task of balancing my work life and my obligations as a mother. I am a mother first and an attorney second. I had this precious little baby boy and big attorney dreams.
After working at a juvenile detention facility for a few years, I enrolled at the University of Colorado, Boulder to attend law school and help those young children even more. Years later, I am working a job that allows me to serve the community as an attorney, and I am even still able to see the students from the facilities as their attorney. With the blessing of only working four days a weeks, I am able to be with my son and the community much more.
Being a part of the Greeley community is a blessing I would never give up. Coming from California, I never expected to be in such a little town, but I now realize that Greeley is home. I have gotten the opportunity to help with the building of the Atlas Theater. The Atlas is a theater and coffee shop — many days and dollars have been spent at this wonderful place. Every Sunday, my son and I attend church service at the theater, and then I spend the rest of my time with him in the coffee shop. I love the fact that I can let my son run wild at the shop with no thought of losing him. Everyone has become family in this community; never do I fear that my son will get kidnapped with all our family watching over him.
Being an attorney was the best decision I ever made for myself, and with an amazing firm that I work for, I am able to grow professionally much sooner than I would have expected. I work for a woman who owns her own practice; in the future, she is expecting to retire, which allows me to be in her position. Before accepting the position with her firm, I was given a position in Washington, DC as an attorney . This position would have allowed me to be financially secure and allow my husband to stay at home with our son. Knowing I would be a very distant wife and mother, I turned that position down. I could not leave my family to grow without a strong mother role. Plus, I would have missed my Greeley community very much.
The birth of my son made me change as a person, and it made me realize how valuable I can be. Being a very open spirit, I found myself slowly being less open to things for the sake of my son. But, with the best community here in Greeley, I do feel that I have many eyes watching over my son, which lets me relax in most situations. Having most of my life planned out, I never imagined having my own child, but now I cannot imagine life without my beautiful son. Having my son is the most rewarding gift life gave me.
Read the original story on the University of Northern Colorado Facing Project page
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