momgoesback.com

Photo credit: Hans F. Meier

I am in Boston tonight preparing for a two-day conference at Harvard Business School called “Charting Your Course:  Discovering Working Options,” a conference devoted to the issue of career development for women (and men) re-entering or leaving the work force. 

While excited about the conference, I have mixed emotions about being here.  Traveling alone, (not in a family of five) and staying in a nice hotel, (The Charles Hotel in Cambridge–I feel very academic and New-Englandish) is great.  I met with an old friend for dinner and spent the evening talking about his life and career and my life and burgeoning career.

In the midst of this very grown up dinner in a wonderful restaurant, (The Rialto–great food, friendly chef and warm ambiance), I recieved a phone call from my nine-year-old son.  That is when the mixed emotions began.

He was upset.  He could not find the study sheet for the vocabulary words he is being tested on tomorrow.  His father was not home and he was home with my 15-year old who wanted to talk to me about a Linkin Park concert he wants to attend. Needless to say, my nine-year-old needed attention and I felt a pang of guilt for not being home with him to help.

Yes, I know this is not a great tragedy, but it is the small challenges women (and men) face when they work and travel for business. For me, it is a new challenge. A part of me feels like I am not fulfilling my responsiblities as a parent and is torn because I am excited to be here, but want to be home to help my son find and study his vocab words.

After my dinner, back in my room, I called him. He had solved his problem and was studying his words.  He was happy and proud that the situation was under his control and he asked me, “How are things going in Boston, Mom?” 

This is a good thing, a very good thing for him and for me.