At a recent AWIR conference in Orlando, one of the leadership lectures offered a message that has stayed with me: “Women can have it all, but not all at once.”

It was a powerful reminder. 

In a culture that glorifies the “girl boss” energy and fuels FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) at every turn, it’s easy to feel like we’re falling short if we’re not excelling in every role. This way of thinking is more exhausting than empowering. Life has seasons. And in each season, something naturally takes the front seat while other things shift to the back.

Motherhood, Medicine, and the Juggle

I live this reality every day. As a physician, preceptor, AWIR chapter leader, wife, and mom to my infant Chloe, I’m constantly stretching time. I miss painting, building LEGO, and writing…hobbies that ground me. What helps is intention: I give Chloe my full attention when she’s awake, then dive into work after she’s asleep. I’m learning to ease FOMO by tuning out social media’s comparison culture and focusing on what matters most in this season. My husband’s support makes this possible but I’ve learned I can’t pour equal energy into every role at once. That’s not failure. It’s embracing the season I’m in.

Illness Has Its Seasons Too

Chronic illness follows its own cycles. Living with rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s, I’ve learned that flares can feel overwhelming and isolating. Yet, there are also quieter phases of remission and recovery. Healing often depends on the team behind me, physicians, family, friends supporting me.

In periods of uncertainty, it’s tempting to seek instant relief or quick answers, but some answers and treatments take time. When my diseases flare, bringing pain, stiffness, and bone-deep fatigue, I focus on small steps: track the flare, update my doctor, lean on my support team, and give my body time to rest.

This has become my mantra: Respect the season of flare. Rest. Nourish the body. Allow space to heal.

Faith and Seasons

This idea of seasons also shapes how I approach faith, especially during tough moments in my medical or parenting journey. In faith, we often ask God: Why am I here? Why does this happen? When will it end? The truth is, we don’t always see the purpose in the moment. Yet scripture reminds us that there is growth in every season, even when it’s hidden.

Our difficult seasons may be shaping us in ways we don’t yet understand. This trust in unseen growth, rooted in faith, has taught me the value of patience across all areas of life.

The Power of Patience

Leadership, motherhood, illness, and faith all teach the same truth: you can pursue what matters to you, but not everything will unfold at once. That doesn’t mean the dream is gone. It means “not now” rather than “not ever.”

A lupus patient recently told me that she just started working part-time as a teacher. I could see the excitement in her voice. She shared with me that when she was diagnosed with lupus, she thought that she could never work again. She reflected that though she still has lupus, her lupus is quiescent and she is starting to pursue what she loves once again.

So if you find yourself in a season of flare, or of exhaustion, or of waiting on God’s timing, please take heart. A new season will come. And in the meantime, give yourself permission to live fully in the one you’re in.

Embracing Every Season

I write this blog not just as an encouragement to others, but also as a reminder for myself to revisit again and again. Like my lupus patient rediscovering teaching, I’m learning to trust that each season, whether of parenting, healing, or faith, brings me closer to ‘having it all,’ just not all at once. 

What season of life are you in, and how are you finding balance? I’d love to hear how you are navigating the season!