A woman's next chapter: pursuing a doctorate?(IN HER OWN WORDS)

Life is like a novel, with many twists and turns along the way. There are main characters, relationships that grow and those that end, good moments and painful moments, joy, loss and sadness. There are scenes we long to remember and scenes we rush to forget. The writer has a purpose and a direction. Sometimes during the transitions of life, we are unsure what our next chapter will hold.

Many women were raised to marry and have a family, making our husbands and children our "direction." It's what many of our mothers did, and their mothers.

For those of us who chose a different path, we have made rich, strong decisions that may or may not have been met with welcome arms, depending on our audiences.

To set the stage

I'm married to a great guy, and we have three vibrant children. I have a supportive network of family and friends. I've been an adjunct instructor at three universities in the Chicago area for three years, and have had a stable private counseling practice in a nearby town. I've taught under-grads and grads, and supervised student internships. Many look at me and think I have it all. Why do I long for more?

In my novel, as my children have grown, I've needed to develop my own next chapter, not based on or for my role as wife/mother/daughter/friend--just for me.

Going for a doctorate