Relationships: Choosing between Career and Family

Recently, a friend told me that she was willing to quit her job in order to spend more time with her family. This revelation was puzzling considering the high costs of living and the ever increasing demands of life such as; family, savings and investment. Here is a different scenario. A man with a very promising career in a telecommunication company was promoted. The only problem was that he had to re-locate to another town. This greatly disturbed him since he had already bought a home for his family in the city where he lived and it would be expensive to re-locate with his entire family. Nevertheless, he took up the job and drove back to the city to visit his family every weekend. After a while, he submitted his resignation letter citing personal reasons, and working away from his family, was one of them. Another different scenario is, a woman who becomes pregnant at the peak of her career. This is a new territory for her and while she tries to understand everything, she resolves to quit her job for the next year to take care of her newborn. Is leaving a job, a sacrifice to your family? Such are the sacrifices that men and women make for the sake of their families. Others choose to work part time while others give up completely. This may not seem like a wise move. However, people usually do so as a last resort. Here are some of the reasons they give: “I get home late everyday and only see and talk to my children on the weekends, with regard to my husband, I can only talk to him late in the evening.” –Concerned parent. “I don’t want a house-help to raise my daughter, which is my responsibility.”—Mother. “I know it will mean a lot of strain on my family but the end result is worth it!”—Father. The reasons are endless. Those who took that daring step and are harvesting fruit will confirm that it is a difficult choice they live through daily. Others are barely making it and depend on the love of their families to keep moving on. Is this for everyone? Certainly, responsibilities and priorities are distinctive. Individuals know what suits them and their family best. This requires a lot of counsel beforehand. Sometimes parents have to tell children not to expect the same lifestyle they are used to and that’s tough, but that’s life. Families are sometimes weak because they do not spend enough time together. That balance is what marks the commitment of one’s family stand strong. Agasaro Magazine.