From the overnight shifts that left you scrolling through Netflix options solo to the laundry loads of scrubs covered in God knows what, the life of a residency spouse is at many times lonely and thankless, but also rewarding. Although you aren’t the one directly going through the training, as the wife, husband, boyfriend, or girlfriend, you still get quite the education along the residency journey.

How many people think they equally balance work life and parenting life? Career-driven parents hit this obstacle head-on constantly, and as a working mom I couldn’t agree more with the struggle to answer this question.

We all know what retirement is and for some that milestone is closer than others. I never really grasped the enormity of it until watching my dad go through the process of deciding to retire and planning out his retirement. Little did I know, it was something very little that pushed him to complete this milestone.