Don’t get me wrong, the last 10 months have been some of the most trying times of my life. My husband and I, both at pivotal points in our careers, have been abruptly isolated at home with our three young daughters for what feels like an eternity. Managing virtual school for my 7-year-old and trying to keep my 4- and 2-year-olds entertained has pushed us to our limits—in our careers, our marriage and our parenting practices. But as the year came to an end, and the rollout of vaccines brought hope, I found myself reflecting on the gifts this adversity have given me.

Flexibility

As a litigator for a large defense firm, I’ve had to push the boundaries to strike a balance between my career, business development and growing, birthing and raising three daughters. Though my firm has been accommodating to my requests to reduce my schedule or time off to care for a sick child, this is not the societal norm, and it often it is met with unconscious bias. This problem is not unique to law firms, as it is prolific throughout the U.S. workforce.