Sharing Hard-won Wisdom with Women of Today and Future Generations
When I was a young mom in my late 30s, I had what I thought was the perfect life. I was a morning anchor in my hometown of Denver, the career I’d dreamed of since I was nine. My heart was also fulfilled by my other important role—mom of boy-girl twins.
My non-traditional shift meant I had quality time with my children. Sure, I was exhausted waking up shortly after 2 a.m., but that was a price I was willing to pay so I could feel equally satisfied and successful as both a mom and professional.
Then when my kids were nearly five, my husband was offered a job that we believed would give our family financial security for years to come. The catch— it was out of state, and I made the difficult decision to leave my job to support my family.
I loved being a mom and knew there was great purpose in supporting my children’s many needs. But after years of measuring my self-worth by tangible achievements, a high-profile job, and a solid paycheck, I felt underutilized, as if I was failing.
Determined to get back to the Katie who thrived on accomplishments, I reinvented myself and moved into public relations. The path gave me flexibility that allowed me to work while remaining my children’s primary caregiver.
Over time, I proved to myself that I could succeed outside of television and strike a balance between career and motherhood.
As my children got older; however, I realized that I had been trying to be everything to everyone else, and while I focused on that, there was a growing void in my heart.
That’s when I embarked on what I called my “deep dive into Katie,” an inner-journey to discover what might make me feel more complete.
Through spiritual growth, meditation, yoga, and discovering new interests like painting, I felt more peaceful, grounded, and clear on who I was.
I began to understand that I could love and accept myself, not because of what I accomplished, but simply for who I was.
Ironically, I could not have been in a better emotional place when my world shattered. I discovered that my husband of nearly twenty years had been having an affair.
Our marriage would not recover.
Suddenly, I found myself in my mid-40s, looking at an unpredictable future. My life was dramatically different from the ideal vision I once had.
It was messy and imperfect.
Still, in my heart, I knew I was going to be okay.
On a practical level, I had a good job and could provide for myself. More importantly, I had a new perspective. My circumstances had changed, but my essence had not. My life still had value. I was loving and lovable.
In my memoir, What Do I Tell My Daughter?, I ask what I should tell my daughter about the choices I made as a woman, wife, and mother.
Like many women, I sacrificed for the people I loved.
How can we be true to that part of ourselves without losing other important parts of who we are?
I don’t pretend to have all the answers.
But I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about getting back to a perfect life we once imagined. Sometimes it means changing our expectations, accepting who we are, and finding beauty in the imperfection.
That’s one thing I want my daughter to know.
We can love others deeply, make sacrifices for them, and still make room for ourselves.
