Jeff and I always joke that no two years stay the same for us.
Either we add in a new job, or a new person, or something really crazy like homeschooling. We’re always adjusting to the new normal around here and next year will be no different.
Last year, my attention was to focus primarily on staying at home with the kids and getting our homeschool into a decent rhythm. I wasn’t sure how long this adjustment would take, but I was surprised how quickly and easily we fell into a rhythm after deschooling.
Now that I feel good about that, I can fold in another passion of mine: supporting the transition into motherhood. I was able to do this passively for many years while working in a small maternity boutique and attending breastfeeding support groups while having my own children. But I’ve always felt there was more I could do; now that our family is complete (as far as childbearing is concerned), I would like to take this passion a bit further.
So it’s with great excitement, anticipation, and a bit of nervousness that I will be going back to school and starting my 200-hour yoga teacher training (which I’ll follow up with prenatal and postnatal yoga) in September, and postpartum doula training in November.
But, wait, there’s more changes ahead. Jeff is bringing his passion for teaching to a more personal level. Job changes and new flexibility have allowed Jeff to be more hands on with the boys schooling. I now get to team teach with my own husband!
Now, it’s not all kittens and rainbows (although we did get a new kitten, who you can see on Instagram). Before I’m accused of being ingenuine or making life look better than it is, I must share that this isn’t a permanent (or initially welcomed) arrangement.
While Jeff’s job changes allow him to spend more time with us, and take a more active role in the children’s schooling, this was not by choice, and our current job situation will not be able to sustain us permanently. There will be more shuffling in the future as our family finds ways to be a bit more financially comfortable and new career opportunities arise. I believe the whole experience will be net positive, but we are not quite there yet and things will continue to be a little tight. The past couple months have been a tightrope walk navigating finances and the loss of benefits while also trying to take advantage of and enjoy more time together.
Which brings me back to support.
I may be a bit of a pollyanna, but the truth is that I feel incredibly lucky. The emotional, financial and hands on support from family and friends is what turns a life changing shift from traumatic to positive. Jeff and I feel the positive effects of that support every day.
Knowing how much emotional and practical support influences an experience is the reason I am so excited to begin my yoga & doula training. The knowledge that I will be able to provide that service to others while also supporting my family is immensely satisfying.
If you’re still wondering about what a postpartum doula is, or about yoga, stay tuned. I’ll still be blogging about our homeschool and our lives, and I know I’ll be sharing more about yoga and doula work as I go.
For now, a giant thank you to friends, family, and readers for your support from all of us.
