Many women my age struggle with what kind of mother they want to be. They are torn between work, education, and staying at home with children. There are so many options, so many opportunities that really haven't been tried out by those before them.

So many people have opinions and advice to throw at young women. The truth is that every family needs something different, and every situation is unique. I do not like when women are bullied out of making their own choice. I do not like, especially, when women bully other women to do what they deem 'fit'. There is a lot of pressure to be so many different things, and women need to take a step back and realize that they can't do it all, especially at once, and that's perfectly okay. It doesn't diminish their strength or capability. It means that women are realizing their limits, their ability to keep both themselves and their families happy.

For me, I'm open to being a stay at home mom.

I've struggled for awhile on what exactly I wanted to be. For a while I liked the idea of singleness. I liked the freedom to seek multiple forms of education, take on a career, and explore the world around me. That said, there was always a part of me that saw the intrinsic value in settling down, taking a step back, and pouring into a family. I've kept my options open, going for a degree that allows multiple grad school and career options, some very flexible. As I've continued to grow as a person and learn from the diversity of opinions and backgrounds around me, I've begun to see the growing importance of family. After all, I have my entire life to get my doctorate, but I have a limited window of time to be a mother. I see that I'll be remorseful it if I don't attain all of my educational and career based dreams, but that I'll always regret not having a family and not taking full advantage of my time with them. I realize that I don't have to do everything under the sun, that life is a series of decisions, and we have to choose the ones that are best for us and those we love. That's why I realized that being a mother who stayed home and lived life with her kids meant the most to me.

It's really not a catch all though. I see the need for women to get out and use their abilities with other adults. I even can see myself putting away the apron and going into the workforce while my kids are in school. The thing is, I need to look at myself, and see what's not just best for me, but what's going to be best for those affected by my decisions. I need to one day make decisions that mean I sacrifice something of myself in order to make another's life better. I see the potential for that in being a mom. I see mothers make sacrificial decisions everyday, and I'm okay with making the sacrifice of work or more school for the benefit of my children. I see where I can be useful as a homemaker; I see where I can put my skills to task through loving and caring for others. I'm okay with whatever life hands me. That's why I'm okay with being a stay at home mom.