The Next Generations

 

Meet baby Jude, the newest little explorer of our family

Introducing my fourth child, space baby Jude Angelo, who launched into this world late Wednesday night, 2/2/22.

After the birth of my second child, an acquaintance advised me not to post personal updates on professional platforms such as LinkedIn, not even life-changing events such as the birth of a child. I didn’t fully understand at the time why that advice bothered me so much that I deliberately chose to do the opposite.

My third child was born early enough into the pandemic that it was still novel to get a peak into the personal lives of our colleagues working from home. I’d been working from home since 2014 and always felt the need to hide the fact that I had babies and young children as office companions over the years.

The rise of coronavirus-times work-at-home normality changed how we collectively perceive the office environment. While I still do my best to minimize noise and take calls away from the kids, I no longer feel hesitant to mention their existence in this home we share.

When my third baby was still young in late 2020 and early 2021, I held her during video calls and conference talks when I needed to, sometimes off camera but usually within view. I had taken my previous two babies to in-person conferences and business events in “the before times.” Holding a baby during a video meeting or talk was a natural extension of that willingness to be public about my working motherhood.

I’ve tried to keep this open mentality moving forward in my public/private life of inviting the world to view a sliver of my home office. I was giving a conference video talk a couple of weeks ago when my 6-year-old calmly walked into the office during the last 5 minutes of my talk and sat on the floor beside me off-camera. It was a sweet moment I treasured. It reminded me of all the times I’d hang out in my mom’s law office or when she was at court, observing her in a professional environment that no doubt influenced me.

I did not enter the space sector with a focus on the next generation. But bringing children into this world has naturally shifted my perspective to become more forward-focused. I want to progress humanity to the stars for the current generations but even more so for the next ones. I want to open the opportunities for everyone who comes after me.

With two, possibly three of my children being similarly disabled, I’m newly motivated to work toward a more inclusive world that won’t limit my children’s passions by their physical challenges. I want my kids, and all who feel called to look up, to be able to reach for the stars.