Essays
Not long ago, my husband, kids, and I piled into the car for a weekend trip with another family. Once there, both dads fell asleep for a midday nap and we, the moms, decided to let them sleep while we watched our collective four children.
I got married in 2012. I remember sitting on the plane en route to our honeymoon staring at my brand new wedding band and thinking: I am somebody’s wife now. A small thrill passed through me at the idea of belonging to someone in this way.
When I first started practicing law eight years ago, a departure memo sent by a female associate at a large law firm made the rounds. In it, Ms. X, as she came to be known, detailed her daily routine, which ran from 4 A.M. one day to 1:30 A.M. the next as she struggled to juggle kids, spouse and career until she ultimately cried, “Uncle!”
First off, let me say that I’m not one of those people who believes everything happens for a reason. At least not in the sense that “reason” exists as some greater life plan mysteriously at work behind the scenes. I didn’t get into the college I wanted, and I’m sure that, in the traditional sense, there were plenty of reasons — other applicants had better grades, more compelling essays, higher SAT scores, more impressive extracurriculars… you get the picture.