I recently was blessed to have my fifth...yes #5...grandchild, and somehow it seems like a major milestone.  I have two biological sons (and 3 grown step children) and each produced two amazing children. And, that seemed to model my own life -- having two children. But, when my son, Rich, and wife, Lisa, had Griffin 8 weeks ago, that changed.

I can't explain why, but having a fifth grandchild is making me rethink my work and life choices.  I've always worked, even when my children were small, and loved it ...and I still do. In some ways being a working grandmother is the best of all worlds. I pride myself on working toward the goal of feeling effective in my personal life and my career -- a daily challenge. I don't live close enough to see my children and grandchildren more that once a month, if that.

I know that's been hard for both sets of parents, as they don't have family close by to help with their busy lives. It's always been very important to me to make sure I'm part of my grandchildren's lives, but Griffin's arrival has made it seem even more significant.  It's not a question of not working, of becoming a 'stay at home' grandma. It's more a question or re-evaluating how and where I spend my time, and exploring ways to re-organize work and life so I can have more face time with my grandchildren, their parents, and my stepchldren.

I don't have all the ansers yet, but I'm working on it. Are you dealing with similar work-life challenges?