The benefit of working from “home”
Most people who tout the benefits of having a portable business like to talk about working from Tahiti or Paris or Costa Rica or Egypt, but when push comes to shove (and it always does), the true benefit is the ability to be able to work from your parent’s house in South Carolina (in my case), or from your in-laws’ house in Indiana, or your daughter’s place in Arizona, or whatever the case may be.
One of the best parts of being a person who works for themselves and meets with clients virtually is that I can work anywhere in the world. I consider it a gift to have the time and ability to spend a great deal of time in South Carolina.
My mom has been diagnosed with Stage Four cancer, and has decided not to pursue any chemotherapy. According to her oncologist, she may have six months ahead of her. As a result of her dip in energy, it’s best if she has someone around, so I am doing what I can to be here in her house, which has never been my home.
(It’s complicated, but we moved a shit-ton when I was a kid, so the last house that I consider as a family home is the one my parents moved out of in the early ‘80s.)
Nevertheless, being an entrepreneur who can work where I want to work is coming in super handy right now.
Today, I will be driving her to the beach for a short stay, where my older daughter, Sara, has rented a place for the three of us. Next week, I get to go home for ten days or so, to make it to my own appointments (hair as well as medical) and, more importantly, to spend some time with my sweetheart and our cat.
For those of you in this caretaking gig with me, I salute you. I wish you well, and hope that you are getting some respite time for yourselves, too. If not, I encourage you to see what you can do to make that happen for yourself.
It is okay to set boundaries as to what you are and are not willing or able to do. It is okay to take time for yourself so that you remain tethered to the world outside of your caretaking bubble. It is more than okay to prioritize relationships that are going to extend into the future, (hopefully) long after your loved one’s illness or death.
It is important. YOU are important.
As for work: I’m still here, still coaching. Because at the end of this period, whenever it comes, I want to be able to keep going with my business, not start over from scratch. I’ve put the creation of new programs on hold for now, since it doesn’t feel like the right time to start something new, but it just means I am more focused than ever on 1:1 coaching.
Over the next several months, much of my focus will be on helping my mom navigate this last passage. I am happy to help her, despite knowing that were the positions reversed, she would not do the same for me. We all have our own abilities and tolerances, and I am happy to hold space for her and hold her hand as she walks this final path.
Since I am still coaching 1:1 clients and offering tarot readings, I invite you to visit my “Work With Kelly” page and grab a spot.
