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To Work or Not To Work?


One morning, after my usual trip to the grocery, I saw my neighbor Nadya, a Taiwanese lady in her 50s who exudes nothing but confidence, grace, and friendliness. We had a chat about usual things that moms talk about, and before we went to say goodbye, she asked me if I was working. I said that I stopped the minute we decided to migrate to this country. Though she is aware of my predicament, she strongly encouraged me to go back to work. She smoothly laid out all the reasons for working again as if she mentally prepared for it overnight. That is how articulate she is! Needless to say, she said that it is a good idea to go back to work for the following reasons:


  1. I can't be off the market for a long time. Otherwise, younger and “fresher” people will be more marketable to employers. 

  2. I need to be prepared for the worst. She mentioned that when she gave birth to her 2 kids, she was unemployed for 5 years before deciding to work again. Good thing she did, because a few years after, her husband died. Without her income, she would not have been able to attend to her family’s needs. 

  3. My daughter needs to see that she has a strong and independent mother. In this way, she will be empowered to be one when she grows up, as well. She said that I can easily hire a nanny when I need to work and my daughter is at home from school. 

  4.  It is good to have my own bank account in case something comes up. Though he has a high regard for my husband, she shared that she knows a number of local women whose husbands took off, leaving them with not a single penny for the family. 


I flirted with the idea of going back to work, especially that my daughter is at school for most parts of the day. I continuously prayed for a decision because I know of its huge impact on my family. Working for a few hours each day means that I will sacrifice having home-cooked meals or quality time in the playground or extra snuggle time at night.




God has His way of helping me make a decision. This is me, a year after that much-needed discussion, enjoying the beach for the winter break. I decided to continue working for personal growth and fulfillment. I thank God for the work opportunity that has come my way, as well as for the people, especially Nadya, who helped me reach this point in my life.



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