Midlife meltdown over "meaningfulness" of work vs parenting
I'm not sure if I even have a question or if this will make sense. I'd love to hear from anyone who has made work meaningfulness a priority and how you balance that with parenting.
Without getting into specifics, I have always done work that I considered personally meaningful and beneficial to the world (intersection of technology and healthcare). I got a job offer earlier this year that opens up a lot of doors. The money is great, the mission is great, and it creates an opportunity to potentially do a LOT more good than any other avenue. It's not perfect but it is incredibly well-aligned with the change I want to make in the world.
The down side is that it requires a major move. My husband and I both agreed it was the right decision, but my teen is not happy. And as I have tried to rationalize it to her, I often find that I just can't. Like what am I doing? Is having a "cool" "important" job really more important than my kids' stability and happiness? Kind of yes, right? But then again, not at all? What if I'm wrong about this whole endeavor and I'm just sniffing my own farts?
And then when I discuss / read about other people's jobs, I literally never hear anyone talk about meaning / mission as part of the decision. It seems like for most people, especially in mid life, the decision is: am I making the most money I can, doing something I can stand most of the time?
Am I wrong? Do you also need meaning in your work? Is it basically really spoiled to want that? To prioritize it over your kids' happiness? Am I making a huge mistake?
Thank you for listening to my crashout, all advice welcome.