Returning to Work as a Parent

I'm a first-time mom and I just returned to work after 12 weeks of healing my body, adjusting to a new norm, and caring for one of the most precious people on this planet.

It was difficult in its own way to return to work. I didn't want to kiss my girl goodbye for the day and not see her again until I returned home. I stressed about making sure I had enough milk stored up for when I was gone and whether I packed my work computer and a lunch and a pump bag and everything else I anticipated needing while I was away. I felt strangely unnerved by my cubicle looking exactly as I had left it before my whole world changed.

But then again, in a way, it was nice to adorn some other title than "Mom" for a few hours. This new role as a parent has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, but it still feels good to stretch those mental muscles and be in a professional environment again. And that's not to say I have a preference for one or the other. I am now motivated not only to test the limits of my creativity and my communication skills but also to take advantage of the times when I can be Mom again, to provide all the love and attention my child needs and to see her grow and change.

Instead of becoming someone new, I feel like I have become someone better. And as I continue to mash and blend both my former and my present selves together, I am giving myself grace and focusing my attention on the good moments, both at work and at home.