Prioritizing Myself:?A Personal and Professional Renewal

I did it! After nearly 30 years of non-stop working, it was time. It was time to make the intuitive decision to take a brief break so I could regroup on my personal and professional goals.

At my son’s senior prom pictures last April, mingling with beautifully dressed teens by the oak tree, I was jolted into a sudden realization. Other than a few select boys from the basketball team, I hardly recognized any parents or kids. I had missed so much of everyday life as a working mom.

I wanted, and needed, to be genuinely present over the summer to celebrate many milestones: my 20th wedding anniversary, my son’s high-school graduation and college move-in, and my daughter’s second-degree black-belt testing and her entry into middle school, not to mention a planned family reunion to celebrate several June birthdays and the various graduations.

Additionally, I wanted to spend time in real life with my elderly parents with medical needs (caregiving over text doesn’t cut it), hang out with my two younger sisters, and reconnect with extended family and old friends. Oh, and let’s not forget, as a committed leader, I needed recovery from the pandemic-induced absorption of all the anxieties surrounding us to keep people motivated and engaged.

Despite everything, taking a break was not an easy decision for me. I loved working at Atara. Surrounded by brilliant minds and endless talent, we made history together in allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy. This is an example of true transformation, and I will forever cherish my fellow Atarians. ?

As I seamlessly transitioned from an exhausted human-doing to a relaxed human being, I slowed down my racing brain to be in the moment, to breathe deeply and laugh. I hosted many pool and BBQ parties for kids, family, friends, colleagues, and fellow parents. What a joy it was to have conversations without checking two phones!

For the first time I can remember, I was embracing family trips without calling into meetings, hunched over in a corner so I could hear, drowning out the beach waves or the rollercoaster screams, and praying that I was really on mute (call it self-induced accountability or call it crazy). By July, I realized I loved just staring at the sky and the colorful flowers. It was all working out as I had planned. I was executing against my goals. I was on track.?

Then, I was suddenly jolted again. I was relaxing poolside on a family vacation when my middle sister called. Her doctor detected cancer during a routine screening. I did not plan for this. After 36 hours of weeping, I pivoted my focus to my beautiful sister, a single mom about to send her only daughter to college and in the middle of moving herself across the country. It was a blessing that I was in a place in my life where I could see my sister through her surgery and recovery. It also really brought home that the work we do in the life sciences industry is so critically important to patients and their families.

My trip to support my sister’s medical journey was extra memorable as it was bracketed on both sides by hurricanes. First, Hurricane Hillary expedited my leaving Los Angeles before her surgery. Next, Hurricane Lee delayed my return, almost forcing me to miss our first Baylor Family Weekend.?

Now, the summer has come to an end. As I reflect on the past few months, I am convinced that listening to my heart and making unapologetic decisions revealed amazing blessings I could not have imagined. I do recognize that I am very fortunate to be able to take this much-needed break and I don’t take that for granted. And, thanks to my wonderful colleagues’ support and referrals for the best medical care, my sister is doing well.

I can’t wait to move on to my next adventure. First, I need to make one more trip, this time to see my mom and dad again and spend time with my awesome baby sister – before I get going and doing again.? I’m ready.