Welcoming 2017 with open arms!

My So-Called Mommy Life blog 2017

2017 is finally here! And I’m welcoming it with open arms.

I am so ready for 2017.

Let me explain.

2015 was the year that my life got sidetracked with my breast cancer diagnosis. I was diagnosed in March and completed active treatment by the end of November of the same year.

After I finished treatment I would be questioned by people if I was ready to return to work, what did I do all day and wasn’t I bored?

My answers were always the same. I didn’t have my summer in 2015 and more than anything I wanted to take care of myself and enjoy my family until after the summer. Summer is my favourite season and I wanted to enjoy it. Actually, I needed my summer and I made the most out of every day! Sunsets, swimming in the lake, ice cream and lots of it and just enjoying spending time with my family. And an amazing trip to NYC! I can’t forget that.

My So-Called Mommy Life

And then the fall rolled around and everyone went back to school. I started thinking that maybe I should start looking for a job. That part of me was ready to go back to having some normalcy in my life. That even thought I became a lady who lunches, sometimes it was a little boring and I wanted more. I enjoy working and being social and was starting to crave that. I started casually looking for a job. Ever few days I would look and nothing ever piqued my interest. And then one day I found a job posting that screamed my name. I felt like this job was created for me. I had all the qualifications, it’s something I’m passionate about, I would be off in the summers and it’s a job that I felt would always be a challenge. So I sent in my cover letter and resume and crossed my fingers.

When I was diagnosed with cancer I was working in a contract position because i had decided not to go back to my teaching job after my maternity leave with Little Dude. So the thought of applying for new jobs was scary. Actually it was terrifying. I feel very strongly that my cancer shouldn’t define who I am. I don’t play the cancer card, never have and hopefully never will have to. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me because I had cancer nor do I want someone to think I’m less competent than someone else. But when someone looks at my resume there’s a gap. And that gap was cancer. So the fear of an employer asking me why there was a gap in my resume was petrifying. What do I say? I couldn’t lie because if they Googled me they would know the truth within a few minutes of finding my online presence, and if I disclosed the real reason I don’t want someone’s pity.

In November, I got the call that I was hoping to get. I was chosen for an interview. Since my cancer diagnosis, dates and number have had a weird coincidence in my life. The day the lady called to let me know I would be having an interview was the day my grandfather passed away. Due to that timing, I had a feeling that my Zaidy was watching over me ensuring that I got this job.

I had my interview and felt so confident about how well it went. I walked out of the room feeling great. And more so the gap in my resume never even come up. All the stress and practicing how I would answer the question, slipped away.

And then I got the phone call that I got the job! Yes! I got such a new and amazing job that I can’t wait to start.

I couldn’t be more thrilled to be starting off my year on such a positive note.

My So-Called Mommy Life

2016 was a year that I needed to deal with what had happened to me in 2015. I had to figure out how to deal with the fear of a cancer recurrence and process everything that had happened to me. I needed last year to be a year where I was all over the place yet I was no where. I needed to put myself first and lose the weight I gained during treatment. I needed days where I pushed myself and I needed days where I lay under my covers and relaxed. I needed to figure out who I was after cancer, and where I want to go with my life. I had to figure out what was important to me and what were my life goals. I’m so ready to put 2016 behind me and start this year out right.

2017, I’m welcoming you with open arms! I can’t wait for all of the awesomeness that will be coming my way this year!

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Comments

  1. Jessica says:

    Congrats on the new job and all that 2017 has to offer you xo

  2. So happy for you that you got the great job you deserve! You are going to be amazing at it! And your grandfather was indeed certainly looking after you…

  3. Nathalie says:

    Yay!! Bravo!!

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