My husband and I were out doing some Christmas shopping earlier this week. It was the first time in years we've been able to shop together for Christmas, which is a big deal for us! While we were out I bumped into an old colleague of mine that I worked with for many years. We exchanged hellos and he updated me on life at the office, and then he asked me if I was working. I casually answered no, that I was home with the kids and homeschooling, and carried on our conversation. But after he had left I almost felt a twinge of regret that I hadn't mentioned the fact that I do freelance work on occasion. This was the same person who, when I was pregnant with my third child and approaching maternity leave, asked me if I thought I'd get bored being home all day with nothing to do. It was clear to me that he had no concept of what it means to be home raising a family and all the work that is involved, and that part of me felt the need to justify my current "career" choices as not a waste because I do, in fact, freelance occasionally. I felt the nagging need to say something that showed my skills weren't being wasted, and that I did indeed have ambition.
