Ch Ch Changes

The Band’s Not Breaking Up. We’re Just Pursuing Solo Acts.

We just got back from Jenkinson’s Boardwalk for a last summer hurrah. The kids started school Tuesday but have today off for Rosh Hashanah so I decided to take advantage of the post-season crowds and head down for some boardwalk fun. We had a blast and I’m so thrilled we did it because things are about to be turned upside down around here and one last day of pure, uninterrupted kid-fun is what we all needed.

I also started school Tuesday. Yes, I’m the dope who didn’t get her Master’s Degree right the first time, so I’m going back for another. This time, I’m doing what I should have done all along, getting an MS in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Crisis and Trauma.

I’ve talked about taking this step for what seems like forever, always waffling between counseling and social work. That’s why I spent two years getting certified and working as a Doula &  Coach. I thought it was a good compromise.

After last fall’s Sandy events, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was supposed to be doing something bigger. I was still seeing health clients but suddenly weight-loss seemed so menial compared to what they were dealing with in the rest of their lives that our sessions were rarely about food.  I started looking at jobs that would help me do something more and I just kept coming back to counseling.

This spring, I made the decision to stop pursuing coaching clients, slow down on blogging work and start looking at being a student full-time. The day I enrolled, I remember feeling a new lightness that took me by surprise. It was as if I had been waiting in a state of anxiety to make this decision for years. I remember talking to my own coach on the phone and telling her that I thought this might be what peaceful felt like.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to The School

You know the saying, “If you want to hear God laugh just tell Him(Her) your plans?” Well, as usual with our life, I made the mistake of feeling like I had a solid plan, a sure way to toss life in the air.

Fast forward to mid-summer when I get a call about a job. Mind you, I wasn’t looking for a job at the time, but I had, over the last couple years, had conversations about this job with people so it wasn’t totally out of nowhere. But (and that’s a big but) I already had a plan and it did not include a near-full-time job. Still, I went for the interview as a courtesy. I had no intention of accepting the position.

Guess who’s laughing now.

You’ve already guessed I took the job right? You’re smart. I did and I have no other explanation than the somewhat hokey-sounding excuse that I felt called to do it. There are no logical reasons for me to take this position. It is time I don’t have. It is a huge responsibility in a possibly tenuous position and there is the small fact that I was NOT LOOKING FOR A JOB!  And yet, despite the long list on the “con” side of the page, nothing outweighed the gut-feeling that kept pulling me farther and farther toward saying yes.

So, Tuesday we all started school and Monday I start a job outside of my home. I haven’t worked for anyone but myself since 2005.

I’d say we have some adjusting to do.

There are no complaints here though. It’s time for mom to grow up and move on. Many of her services aren’t needed here anymore and just maybe it’s time for her to figure out who she is again.

Apparently, she’s someone who likes to have at least four plates in the air at one time. Let’s see how successful she is at keeping them spinning!