I quit working and lost who I was to start a family.
During that time in my life I worked as a death claims processor at a credit union in Great Falls, Mt. I had worked my way up from being a bank teller since my high school summers! Was it my passion? No, but it paid the bills and helped my get my college degree. I had many aspirations to use my college degree in Organizational Communication after graduating.
After graduating from Providence University, in Great Falls MT, I had my first child. I struggled with dropping him off at daycare and hearing all the wonderful things he did while I worked. I couldn’t take it (I lasted only 3 days going back to work). I realized that I would rather stay home and raise him then go to work. So I did.
I put my all of my energy into my new baby boy and being a stay at home mom. I became so involved I let go of all the things I used to do for me. Then I had another baby, a baby girl. My friends changed, my life changed and my world revolved around raising my kids, being a wife and homemaker. Slowly, I lost who I was. I didn’t even think about what my career aspirations were anymore. They didn’t matter. Nothing mattered because I loved being a mom.
Being a mom had become my new identity. Although I taught group exercise classes while my kids were little, it wasn’t until they went to school full time that I realized I wanted...needed something more.
I needed to find me again.
I knew I once had the desire to work, but I knew it wasn’t in banking. Teaching aerobic classes had become my outlet, but that was only for 1 hour a couple hours a week. But during that hour I changed lives and motivated people to really push themselves. I found that SO rewarding.