At the end of life...

We always hear that as people near the end of their life, they never say "I wish I would have spent more time at work." This is true for many who later in life regret spending too much time at work, and very little with their family. Who can really argue with such a thought?

But a friend shared some comments of an older colleauge with me the other day which made me think, maybe some people will regret spending less time at work as they near life's end. I know I don't have all the details of the story exact, but basically my friend was talking with an older woman who had moved in and out of the workforce in order to make her family her priority. While she accomplished moderate success in her field, for the most part her life was devoted to family.

She loved her family, and was proud of her efforts, but questioned if she missed out on something by not putting more effort in advancing on the career front. And I think this is a justifyable concern. While I respect those who forgo career in favor of parenthood, I wonder how many stay-at-home parents are also giving up a dream? A feeling of accomplishment that is different that child-rearing? An opportunity to contribute to the greater good of society?

The fact is, you can be a great parent and also have a successful career. While most parents will agree that their children are their biggest accomplishment, you could argue that some parents contribute more to the world through their work. For example, my OB/GYN is the proud mom of four growing children. But she also brought my daughter safely into the world (in spite of a power outage in the middle of my c-section!), along with hundreds of other infants. Is this any less of an accomplishment than being a mom?

As I near the end of my life, I hope I can say that I gave my best to my family, and also to my career.