Let me start by saying this: Three Rings is an amazing company.
I’ve worked with the agency’s principals and many of my colleagues for more than 15 years. At this point, they’re family.
The principals have always supported and trusted me, both professionally and personally. They’ve given me the opportunity to work from home on a part-time schedule, allowing me to also be the best mom I can be to my four children, who are 12, 11, 9 and 6. Honestly, if it weren’t for this company, these principals and the people I work with every day, I probably wouldn’t be working at all.
Like many working moms, I experience mom guilt. There are plenty of moments when I get that familiar pang in my stomach because I feel like I should be spending time with my kids rather than working. Time goes so fast, and every second is precious.
My mom guilt tends to kick into high gear during the summer months, when my kids are out of school. Every parent knows what I’m talking about. Your kids are on vacation, but they don’t understand that you’re not. They want your attention. They want you to entertain them. And they want to be with you. And it’s heartbreaking when you have to tell them you have to work.
My brain knows that this is part of life, but my heart still aches when I miss time with them. However, I also know that I have the best of both worlds. I get to be a mom to four amazing children, and I have the best job possible to support that role and provide the financial support to fund all the fun things we do every day.
Given the mom guilt, imagine my surprise when Three Rings introduced its seven-year sabbatical a few years ago. As the name suggests, employees who reach their seven-year anniversary are eligible to take a fully paid, one-month sabbatical.
I chose to take that sabbatical over the summer while my kids were on break. It gave me the opportunity to spend an entire month with my family, completely focused on them, without feeling the pull to check work emails or squeeze in a writing assignment.
Did we tour Europe during those four weeks? No.
Did we take an extended stay in the Caribbean? Nope.
Did we travel across the country in a camper? Not even close.
What I did was even better. I was present.
I got to experience the everyday moments without worrying about work. I attended swim meets and soccer games. We went to amusement parks, the zoo and mini-golf. The pool became a daily destination, and I’m pretty sure we visited every ice cream shop in the area.
There was nothing particularly extravagant about our summer, and that’s exactly what made it so special.
I simply got to be there.
Three Rings gave me the opportunity to take a true summer break with my husband and kids, and for that, I couldn’t be more grateful.
Work/Life Lessons Learned
Stepping away from my job for an entire month also gave me new perspective.
I realized that I’m so accustomed to trying to be productive every minute of every day that I rarely give myself permission to simply relax.
If I had an extra hour on a day off, I felt compelled to check emails, get ahead on a writing project or tackle something on my to-do list—just in case things got busy later. I never gave myself that hour to reset by reading a book, watching a favorite show or going for a walk.
I realized I’d been putting a tremendous amount of unintentional pressure on myself. And stepping away for a month reminded me that building in time to reset makes me a better mom, employee and person. Taking time to recharge doesn’t make me less productive. If anything, it helps me come back with more energy, focus and perspective. It can even help prevent the stress and burnout that come from constantly being “on.”
But my time away also taught me something else: I really love my job.
I would never trade the month I had with my family. But being away from work for four weeks reminded me just how much I enjoy what I do. It reminded me how much I love the adrenaline of a media hit, the challenge of a writing assignment and the opportunity to build trust with clients.
And I realized that’s okay.
When I became a mom, I think I lost a little bit of myself. So much of my energy naturally shifted toward my children. Everything I did was for them, and I often felt guilty about doing anything that took me away from them, including working.
But this month reminded me that being a mom and having a career I’m passionate about aren’t mutually exclusive.
I can love my children fiercely and still love what I do. And, ultimately, I realized just how fortunate I am to have both.
I get to be the mom of four amazing children, and I get to do work that I genuinely enjoy—work that allows me to contribute to my family and help provide the opportunities and experiences that make our everyday lives so special.
That’s a pretty incredible combination.
A Summer I'll Never Forget
My month sabbatical was a true blessing, and I’m incredibly grateful to Three Rings for giving me the opportunity to experience it. I’m equally thankful for my amazing colleagues, who stepped in to support and cover for me while I was away, and for my wonderful clients, who not only understood the value of such a benefit but were genuinely excited for me to have the opportunity to take it. Their support made this experience even more meaningful.
As my kids headed back to school, I went back to work with something I didn’t necessarily expect to gain from a month away: renewed passion, energy and dedication.
I’m rested. I’m grateful. And I have a much healthier appreciation for the fact that work and life don’t have to compete with each other.
Sometimes, you just need the opportunity to step away from one to fully appreciate the other.
Thank you, Three Rings—not just for the sabbatical, but for everything you’ve given me over the past seven years.
I’m incredibly lucky to be part of this family.
