Work  and jobs.  Roles. They change.

Time brings different opportunities.

Opportunities bring change.

Change  = growth.

Or so I have learned over the years.

When I was younger I never gave a whole lot of thought about what I would do someday.  Maybe I was shallow. Maybe I just lived in the moment.  Maybe I was naive.  Yes, that is a certainty and I still am naive about a great deal of life but I don’t make excuses for that.  I just live. And it works for me. At least it has so far.

I ran across the picture above the other day and it got me to thinking about all of the “hats” that I have worn over the years.  They all seem about a hundred years ago.  My life is not the same as it was even 5 years ago let alone 25 years ago but I count that as a joy.

When I was little I wanted to be a nurse.  Small problem.  I can’t stand the sight of blood.  To the point that I faint or get woozy when I see the smallest amount.  Ask any of my family and they can attest to that. So I had to give up that dream.

Over the years I have had my share of “jobs”.   A LOT of volunteering.  Babysitting.  Dairy Burger employee.  Newspaper typesetter.  Office manager for a family owned mat board company.  Church secretary.  Small group and outreach coordinator.

Other hats I have worn over the years include daughter, sister, wife, mother, surrogate mother, confidante, supporter, cheerleader, teacher, mentor, writer, assistant, cook, housekeeper, caretaker, crafter, advocate, and the list goes on and on. The list now includes grandma and that is perhaps the best hat ever.  Everyone has the same type of list I would imagine.  It is what we do as women.  We assume the roles that need to be assumed. We step in and step up when need be.  We do what needs to be done and we are there when we need to be there.  It is just what we do, isn’t it?

There is nothing that can prepare any of us for what may lie ahead.  Somedays I just have to stop, slow down and take a step back to concentrate on what the task at hand really needs to be. So many things can pull me in a billion directions and even though I do not have a conventional job these days where I work a 9 to 5 day I still have plenty of things that are calling my name and asking for my time.

I guess I have been thinking about this a bit. because I was drawn into a hashtag on LinkedIn. A group called Inspiring Girls International had a lot of posts with #ThisLittleGirlIsMe. In each post (just google it and a ton of Twitter and LinkedIn posts will come up) a woman shares a bit of her story of how she came to be where she is today complete with a childhood picture and a current picture. I loved reading all the interesting stories about women who are making a difference.

There are so many demands on our time each and every single day and how we decide to spend those hours sometimes is out of our own control but isn’t it nice when those days come that you can put on the hat that you really want to wear for the day?  I know I love those days.

Let me know what hat you currently are wearing in the comments and Comment for a Cause for Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.