Women balancing work as a lawyer and family life is a popular topic. Media accounts are filled with inspiring stories of struggle and overcoming. Blogs and wine-fueled gal pal meet-ups are a source of commiseration and some great “hacks” to achieve superwoman status. The #metoo movement has a lot of us recalling indignities we endured in the name of progressing our careers and standing in solidarity with sisters who are bravely forcing the issue on our national consciousness (and revealing some good guys who are calling out their brothers to wake up and do better).

Everyone seems to be chasing the same thing—to be happy. However, that means different things to different people. I responded to a query for input on whether being a woman lawyer puts added strain on balancing work and family life. My response was an outlier, in that I said “No, because I don’t have to.” I don’t have to because there is no husband and there are no children.