I'm an early 20something with a pretty nice entry-level position at a large nonprofit.

Most folks in the community would kill to work here. We're got great benefits, an awesome staff, and the culture is pretty much: "Make the world better."

But there's only so much I can learn in the office so I've got my eye on a local young professionals group that I would LOVE to join.

But I don't.

The problem is most of their events are after work or early on Saturday mornings.

This makes me sad.

Why is it that I can't make it to the meetings? Because I have to rush home after work to be "Mommy" for the rest of the evening? Because I make it a point to spend my weekends with my family, the only uninterrupted time I have with the kids away from the pressures of the office?

It's times like these that make me wish I had waited a few more years before having kids. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids to death, but just once I'd like to know what it's like to be able to go out to a young professionals happy hour event while wondering what kind of day the kids had at daycare, or feeling guilty for missing quality dinner family time.  

At the same time, I feel fortunate that I had my kids so young. I'm 23 and by the time both of my kids are in school full-time, I will be 28. Did you hear me? 28! Just the right time to take my career to another level, while other moms will be debating whether to take time off from their careers or continue to work full-time while raising their kids.

Sometimes I feel like I'm choosing between my family and my career and I never realized at times I may have to make that choice.

I never realized that some things that might help my career would go on the back burner because I want to focus on my kids.

But I do realize that excelling in my career is as much about making my family's life better as it is about personal fulfillment. So I will make time for those young professional events, if only for my kids' sake.

What about you? Do you ever feel like your role as a mom is at war with your role as an employee? Spill it in the comments!