Today marks exactly 1.5 years since I got laid off. Eighteen months is not a long time, but it’s not short either. It’s especially true when you change thousands of diapers, wipe snotty noses a million times and more, repeat simple commands to your toddler over and over until the cows come home. I’ve been blessed, in a disguise, to be able to stay home to care for the children. It’s not a job for everyone or anyone. It takes love and care and a whole lot of patience, and it takes your vocabulary (away) too.

When I was growing up, I didn’t like children younger than me. I didn’t want to play with them. I thought they were a nuisance, and a huge bother to keep them clean and fed and happy. Thankfully I’m the youngest. Things slowly changed as I grew older. And before I realized what was happening, I decided I want to be a mom someday, but I couldn’t picture myself as a stay at home mom. My mom wasn’t one, and I sure as heck wasn’t going to be one. Mothers worked, and grandmothers took care of the children. Growing up in the Far East, I learned that’s how roles are played.

As luck would have it, I found my perfect mate. Thanks in large part to the internet. And the weather. And I had a promising engineering career. Everything is working out - wait, we are missing a couple of grandmothers somewhere in the picture. No matter. We will just have to use daycare like everyone else. Sure it won’t be what I grew up with, but times have changed and also there usually aren’t four generations living under one roof on this side of the globe.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one looks at it, I was part of a mass lay-off after almost five years of service. I took the opportunity as a sign and have stayed home since. I can’t say I love every single day and every single moment of it, but I am glad that I haven’t looked back. There are so many times when I think to myself: I would not have been able to see or hear this for the first time if I was at work. Then I smile, and try to remember that the volcanic tantrums will be just a blink in history compared to the rest.