Reclaiming the “Gap”: Embracing Every Chapter of Our Story
As you may have noticed, I took a break from my blog. For me, writing has always been a matter of the heart—it needs to feel meaningful, and to do that, I sometimes need to step back, regroup, and care for myself. Recently, work and personal demands have taken center stage as I started a new consulting role with an inspiring organization (more to come on this!), alongside managing my wellness practice. Balancing these responsibilities meant a pause in my blog frequency.
Today, though, I’m sharing a post I wrote over a year ago. It’s different from my usual content and has been sitting on the sidelines because I was afraid. I worried about the comments it might attract. But after recent conversations with others who can relate, I felt compelled to share it. Today, we’re talking wellness in a different sense—owning our power and fully inhabiting who we are. This is where we begin.
A “gap” is defined by Dictionary.com as “an empty space or interval; an interruption in continuity; a hiatus.” As a female professional, I’ve often been puzzled, even frustrated, by how women who choose to step away from the workplace to raise children sometimes face resistance when they decide to return. For clarity, this is one choice of many—some women stay in the workplace full-time, while others combine caregiving with work. Personally, I’ve been a mom who added part-time or full-time work to raising a child, and I know countless friends and colleagues who’ve made similar choices.
After my child left for college, I decided to return to the workplace full-time. Preparing my resumé, I sought advice on how to “position myself” with this so-called “gap” in my work history. So often, I felt like I was on an apology tour, explaining why this gap existed when nothing could be further from the truth. Not only was I working full-time as a mother, but I’d also founded and been running a successful wellness business. During those years, I cultivated skills that are integral to any professional role: time and project management, financial analysis, negotiation, communication, organization, and customer service. Why, then, was I feeling compelled to explain away this “gap?” Why was I suddenly labeled a “non-traditional” applicant ?
The truth is, people make all kinds of career choices, and no single choice is inherently better than another. Some people don’t even get to make a choice—and having options is itself a privilege. Each path deserves respect and support, and we’re all just trying to make the best decisions based on our unique circumstances. As technology advances, we all experience “rust” in certain areas—that’s why continuing growth and training exist. With a growth mindset, we can bridge any gaps, excel at any age, and in a wide range of contexts.
I’ve since added “Mom” to my resumé, and I’m done explaining my so-called “gap.” There was no gap; there was only a career choice. I’m proud of my career—all of it. I’m a strong, capable, and highly skilled professional. It’s time for the world to catch up and recognize that people who take career pauses or transitions, based on their options, preferences, or beliefs, deserve to be seen for their full range of experiences, not judged. Everyone has a unique path that we may know little about, but how fortunate we’d be to learn from, team up with, and respect one another on those journeys.
My message for today: Own your story and your power. Don’t apologize for making choices that feel right for you. Every step that you have taken brought you to today. Embrace all that you are, all that you have been, and all that you are yet to become. Take it from someone who took a long time to learn this—you are enough.
