5:00

Today I left work at 5:00. I went and picked up Reagan and spent the evening enjoying her and Ryan. Sounds pretty normal, right? And nowadays it is. 
But two and a half years ago leaving work at 5:00 was a rarity! I had my dream job, I literally remember saying that when I was hired. I was the events coordinator for fundraising events at HopeWest. I loved everything about that job. From my volunteer committees to designing decor, from the silent auction to the print materials, and this list could go on and the on. There were so many moving pieces to each event and planning was year round. Not to mention the long hours, strict deadlines and endless worrying. Oh, and by the way there were seven large events each year.  Yes, seven amazing events! And it was my privilege to be part of each of them. 
The funny thing about seven events is there isn’t really any down time. So I found myself trying to plan my personal life around work. And I am not talking a trip to Mexico. I mean my real life with Ryan. We wanted to start a family, but I found myself looking at the event schedule and trying to plan when we could conceive, so my due date avoided GJ events at the minimum.  
I bet you can guess how well that went! You got it. My plans didn’t turn out as I had hoped. How crazy was I being? Planning my personal life around work. Try for four months then stop. Try again and stop. For three years, Ryan played this crazy game. (Such a good man.) Then eventually life got real for us. We weren’t getting any younger. It was either time to focus on starting a family or dedicate my life to being a wonderful event planner.
All I could think was I want to be able to talk about something other than work. To have something more meaningful to me personally! And to do this my dream job had to change. I knew I couldn’t be a mom and be the events planner I was. And then came the hardest part.  Telling my boss, who I loved (still love), I couldn’t do this anymore. I could hardly believe it myself as I tearfully told her. It is really hard to leave a job you love! But sometimes you have to do the hardest thing. And so I did. I left my dream job for a job that has brought me balance. I am still able to work raising money for HopeWest. I get to create. I get help grow a business. I do so many different things in a day at Heirlooms and find the work rewarding in different ways. 
Is it the same? No. Do I miss what I did? Sure.  Have I stopped planning my personal life decisions around my work schedule? Yes. Does my work define me anymore? No. Have I found work life balance? Yes, for the most part (always room for improvement). Do I regret putting my family first? Never for a moment.
So today, I found joy when I left work at 5:00. Knowing I made the right choice two and half years ago when I put my family first.