I am embarrassed to say my son was 2 1/2 yrs old when I finally saw the light and quit my corporate job to stay home and raise him. I was scared of walking away from a good job and, in reality, we would be cutting our family income completely in half.

When I walked in with my resignation letter, my then supervisor flipped out, telling me "it must be so nice your husband can take care of you. I can't imagine how that's possible since I know my husband makes more than yours and there's no way we could live on just his income."

As she oozed with envy and a strange kind of jealousy, I thought to myself, "Well... I won't drive a fancy car like you, nor go to Hawaii every year, or get to go shopping for fancy clothes... but this is my choice, and my life, and I choose my son." Honestly, her anger was the best thing for me, as it showed me how bitter I would feel  18 years later if my children were raised by someone else in the way hers had been.

I learned to trust my husband and God in new ways. Sure we have had to make choices, but I do not feel like I have really 'suffered' for anything... By removing myself from the rat-race, I no longer need to dress or look like a rat! My son is now almost 5 and my daughter is 1 1/2 and I have been home with them exploring and learning every day - and not once have I felt 'bored'.

Last August I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and I am currently going through chemotherapy. As I fight for life, my perspective has once again changed to one of gratefulness for the decision we made for me to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom. My last years have not been a waste and my children will hopefully know they are the most important things in my life. My kids give me the strength to fight for life and they mean everything to me. We really do only get one chance... I have no regrets.

Kelly