I shared some of my story when I launched this podcast, but sometimes life is too complicated to fit neatly into an introductory episode of a podcast.
Yes, I spent about a dozen years in high-tech and, yes, I returned to work about a dozen years later. I loved my career and wanted to return to meaningful work.
What I didn’t share was what was going on in my family and financial pressures I was also feeling at that time. My husband was sick and I knew it. He was a physician and should have known it, but was in deep denial. Despite repeated ER visits after his heart stopped and monthly chemo treatments for auto-immune hives, he maintained the incredibly rigorous schedule of a cardiologist. Denial is a powerful drug.
But, at some point, reality is even more powerful.
In this episode you’ll hear:
- how I prepared and saved for years in anticipation of the end of my husband’s career even when he wouldn’t acknowledge it
- when my husband finally decided to scale back for his health – and then left his career entirely 4 days later
- why my passion for writing was never going to be my long term career plan
- where I was in my return to work journey when his career ended
- about the realities of the American health care system, including an 11-month gap between COBRA and Medicare
- why I believe medical disability coverage is critical, but also not always what you expect
I absolutely returned to work because I wanted to. But my timing and my choices were also driven by financial realities. As mothers, we are filled with wisdom and resilience that helps us through our parenting journey. But there’s also a lot of uncertainty in life.
We don’t get a Magic 8 ball that maps out the future, but we can take steps to make sure we’re ready for anything life throws our way. And now you know the rest of my story.
