"What was the most important day of your life..."?'Judith Whitehead' (Inspirational Monday)

Judith Whitehead is back guest-blogging on this Inspirational Monday about what's important in life...Judith lives in Amherst N.Y.  She has worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for almost 30 years...

As a child, I grew up in a 2 parent, loving family that could have been portrayed as the “Leave it to Beaver” family. Dinner was served on time every night, after all were seated at the table. Family vacations were taken often and since my dad was “on the road” for his sales profession, we also traveled with him when we weren't in school and sampled hotels and restaurants across the East Coast. There were 2 siblings in our household and we never went for want. My dad was a good provider and my mom was a stay at home mom who made the house sparkle on a daily basis.

Naturally as I grew up into a young woman, I began to day dream of the home I also

would have some day. I did go to school after graduating high school, but only to obtain

an associates degree in Medical Assisting. My aspirations were not lofty and I assumed I

would some day marry to have my husband be the major breadwinner of the family, and I

would contribute until the children were born. I also wanted 2 children as my family had.

My dreams came true at the young age of 18. I married a young man of 21 who was still

finishing college and we started our life together. For the first few years we worked hard

at our jobs as my husband finished his college education. After a few more years we

began to think of a starting a family and our 2 wonderful boys were born within 3 years

of each other. Our family was complete and I was the proudest mother that walked the earth. As the years passed by, I grew along with my children in desires, wants and goals.

What I desired as a young woman no longer aligned with my goals of the day, and I began to think I had made a hasty decision in only obtaining a 2 year degree. It turns out, I liked to be out in the working world and although my children came first, I was not the “leave it to Beaver” type of mom. Cooking and cleaning was not enough to satisfy me and I enjoyed being out contributing in some way using the profession I had obtained in my teens. I felt slighted that I had not gotten that 4 year degree and knew I could command a better salary if I had those credentials in hand.

I knew I had to still work to help support the family, so I began my plan to slowly go

back to school for a Bachelors degree at night while working during the day. It wasn't

until the age of 39 that I could finally do this. One by one I picked off each course that I

needed to attain my goal, and by the age of 45 I finally could say I was a college graduate of the State University of Buffalo. My only regret was that my mother passed away the year before I graduated and she didn't get to see my accomplishment, but I know somehow she knows.

This was one of the most Important Days of My Life. I never had the drive or ambition

as a teenager to deliver this goal. I didn't really know what I wanted at that young age,

marriage and children were still important to me but I needed to have that ultimate feeling of accomplishment to feel complete.

Today I work in the medical field still and my children are grown up. They don’t need

me as much as when they were little, but I’m still around to give advice when asked and

still enjoy their company immensely. Now I look forward to having grand-children some

day and sit back and watch my sons enjoy the family life I have enjoyed for all these wonderful years.

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