At 43, I was at the height of my professional career, living my dream life as a Southwest Airlines pilot. I traveled back and forth across the country multiple times every month and used my free passes on frequent vacations with my 8-year-old son.
The airline business is built on seniority, and after 12 years, I was senior enough to fly only about eight days a month.
I didn’t know my lifestyle was headed for a massive speed bump after learning I was pregnant with twins.
Having twins in my 40s changed everything — especially my career
I had planned to keep flying until the mandatory retirement age of 65, but that no longer seemed possible. I knew leaving my then-husband at home with three kids while I was traveling would be too much stress for our family to handle.
When my maternity leave came to an end, I walked away from the job and career I had worked for over half my life to achieve.
Over the last 10 years, there have been times when I have regretted quitting my job. The adjustment to becoming a stay-at-home mom took several years, and I longed for the days when I would wake up in New York City, have dinner with my crew in a nice restaurant, and tuck myself into bed in LA.
It was also a difficult transition financially, going from a double income to one. It was also a shock to buy plane tickets for five instead of flying for free, so our frequent travel ended as well.
Going through a divorce changed everything again
It wasn’t until last year that I faced the hardest part of quitting my job: navigating a divorce and becoming a single mom in my 50s.
I couldn’t help think how much easier this divorce would have been if I had kept working. Right now, I’d be making $30,000 a month if I had kept my job.
Instead of being able to support myself easily, I had to fill a huge income gap until I figured out what to do next. I knew returning to flying wasn’t an option for me.
I’m now using my retirement savings
When I was a pilot, I deposited 10% of my paycheck into a retirement account every month. I benefited from a great rate of return.
When I told my family I was going to pull money out of retirement to get through the transition period after my divorce, they didn’t understand why I thought that was a good idea. They thought I should find a job and keep the money in retirement “just in case” I needed it later.
They failed to realize that the entire reason I quit my career was so I could stay home to support my kids. Going back to work during the most stressful period of their lives would have undermined all the sacrifices I had made over the last 10 years. That wasn’t something I was willing to do.
My rainy day was now, and I was grateful I had saved so much while I was working to have options during an incredibly difficult time in my life.
Starting a new career and reinventing myself at the age of 53 was not something I ever expected to endure. But I knew it was the right decision for me and my kids. I’m incredibly grateful for the nest egg I accumulated to assist me in navigating another unexpected life transition.
After two decades as a commercial airline pilot, Kim Cooper now guides others to chart a course through the storm of life transitions. Learn more about her business at pathfinderhealingarts.com.
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