So...this post has been a long time coming and it's going to take a while to get through.
I don't know if I have ever mentioned in this blog that I had a very brief career years ago in the field of Child Life. Here's a quick explanation of what that is:
"Child life specialists work closely with children and families in medical settings, serving as emotional support and helping develop family coping strategies. With a background in child development, child life specialists help explain medical jargon to kids and prepare them for procedures. 'Our main goal is to help decrease the stress and anxiety experienced in the hospital setting, and we're doing that first and foremost by helping them understand what’s happening.'"
Child Life was a huge part of my life from the beginning of my marriage early in 1998 to the time shortly before I had Chase in 2002. I didn't leave the field because I was pregnant - I was kind of burnt out and not feeling excited about it and so I went to a semester of art school in Logan. (Long story, that.) In the middle of the semester I started feeling very nauseated and well, Chase was on his way. I did a little bit of PRN at Primary Children's after I was pregnant, but not too much. And then after that I let my certification go because I was absolutely convinced that I never wanted to do it again.
Whelp....I am dumb. Of course I never would have known the direction my life would take, but still.
I have loved being home with my children. It has been such a blessing to me. I did work a little at the schools for a few years, but was home at the same time they were and never had to miss anything for them because of work. I am tremendously grateful to my husband that I was able to be a stay-home mom. At the same time, I have felt, deep inside, that there was a career waiting for me in my future. I could just feel it deep in my bones. Something was there. I just had no idea what it was. I very nearly got a job in the financial world with my friend at Merrill Lynch, but it didn't work out. I have thought and pondered and prayed and taken personality tests and ....nothing. Not a scrap of inspiration has come my way. It felt like I was trying to get an answer from an empty basement.
That's the thing about prayer though - even if the basement feels dark and empty, it isn't. It might just mean that you're looking in the wrong room! And I laugh because I feel a little like my answer was, "I guess I'll just have to lead other people to you, you knucklehead, since you're not being lead the way I want you to go!" I got a text message last October while I was on vacation in St. George. It was from two women who are very dear to me, and who are both working in the Child Life field now. One of them was Steph, my favorite supervisor from my internship days. The other was Karen, who was my favorite intern that I trained when I had become a level II CCLS. Both of them are now the leaders of the Child Life department for Intermountain Health - one over all of IH and the other over PCH specifically. They asked if I'd ever consider coming back to Child Life. There were tons of openings and a great need and they had thought of me after a former patient bumped into them and told them of her great memories of me. Wow. Humbling.
I felt a tug inside. I decided to just go meet with them to find out more. Turns out that letting my certification expire was going to be somewhat of a big obstacle to overcome, but not impossible. I was feeling overwhelmed already by the approaching holidays, so I told them I'd be thinking and praying about it, and would look into it in the new year.
The story of how I got from thinking about it to accepting a job in May is a longer and much more boring story than is worth telling, but it involves me needing to interview twice since my first interview was a bit of a dumpster fire. When Karen told me how desperate they were, she didn't mean desperate enough to hire someone who couldn't remember formal child development super clearly and so I had to try again after being given study materials. The story also involves me figuring out all the steps I need to take to get recertified, including taking three college classes, taking a massive exam in November, and completing a three-week full-time internship (luckily paid) to get me brushed up on my skills again. I think it will all be worth it, though this summer will be tough with me working plus completing classes, and I really only have one shot at passing that exam in order to keep my job.
I feel like it will all be alright, though. I feel like I am where I am supposed to be. The way things worked out, and the right doors seemed to open in front of me - it feels like my prayers have been answered. I have had some incredible confirmations along the way. One really interesting experience was when I was deciding which Child Life position to apply for. I really didn't know until I started filling out the application, whereupon the department name began pounding through my heart and head with almost a fury. Ok ok ok! I will be working in Medical Imaging, the Children's Procedure Center, and one more area that is of a delicate nature that I want to keep to myself. It feels right even though I'm nervous.
Also, pretty much the minute I entered Primary Children's Hospital, I felt like I was home. I felt how deeply my years of motherhood and basically just getting older will be a powerful help to me now, and give me skills that I completely lacked in my 20's.
Here I am with my new boss and office companions who made me feel so welcome at my new desk, all decked out with welcome flags and a new basket of distraction toys. I love my office mates!!
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