I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do when I am finished homeschooling my children.
Our youngest is 16, with a couple of years of high school left to complete. Just having one student is so different from homeschooling all 6. I have a lot of time on my hands now. Time that I have been spending thinking.
What Do I Want my Second Act to Look Like?
My heart really is in volunteering and helping other people. Ii already volunteer a couple of hours a week. And I see myself spending a lot of time volunteering in several different places when my son graduates. I also see myself still being totally devoted to my family. I want to be available to my family for whatever they need. Help during an illness, help moving, etc., whatever they need.
Then there are the grandkids (hopefully, someday!). I want to be there in whatever capacity I am needed when my grandkids are on the way and are little. Hand holding, cooking, cleaning, babysitting, rocking those precious babies. I want to be the grandma that has sleepovers and bakes cookies with them, and attends all of their games/activities. I also want/need to earn some money, so I would continue working online with my own businesses.
Sounds like a full life doesn’t it?
But wait!
After my mother was in the hospital, something else has been on my heart and my mind. My mother was in the hospital for over 4 months, and she had to be on a ventilator. For the last 2 months of her hospitalization, she was in an amazing facility that had only people on ventilators. I got to witness first hand the work of a respiratory therapist. For the last 7 months or so, I have been thinking about becoming one. I would want to work in that facility. Which wouldn’t be a problem, I don’t think. The college I would go to for training puts students in this hospital for their clinical training. So I think getting a job there after I finish my training would be totally doable.
So this is my dilemma.
Do I want to go to school for 2.5 years, then work for several years? I will be 54 soon. I would be 56 almost 57 when I finished school. It is possible that I could work for 10 years after I finished school. I would really love to be a respiratory therapist in this hospital and make a difference in the lives of the people that my never get off a ventilator for the rest of their lives.
On the other hand…..can I really be as active in my family’s lives as I would like to be if I am going to school & working? What about volunteering? How would I fit in all the volunteering I would like to do if I am working? This ventilator facility is working on starting a volunteer program. I already asked to volunteer. So while it’s not an option right now, it will be later this year from what I have been told. I could make a difference in the quality of the patients lives by volunteering.
I am so conflicted! One day I know for sure what I want, and the next I don’t!
Ugggghhhh…..
Has anyone ever been through this? How did you ever decide what your second act would look like?
It’s a very hard decision Linda! I “retired” early and i’m watching grandchildren now. I’m two years older than you. I’ve worked away from home many years in my life so I glad that this could be my second act. You on the other hand have this life that you haven’t been able to do. I know you wouldn’t trade homeschooling your children for the world though. Now though you have this chance to pursue something that appeals to you. The volunteering sounds like a great thing to and you would be with your family more. Such a hard decision. I wish you the best.
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