This Monday was my first day back at work after a two-and-a-half-month leave, and my boss wanted to discuss my available hours. Immediately, fear kicked in—I knew I couldn’t return to my previous schedule, and I dreaded the tension this might create.

I took a step back and reminded myself: My job only has value if it aligns with my תפקיד—my true job. If my work starts to take away from that, then it’s not what I’m meant to do. At the end of the day, I answer to only One Boss.

With that clarity, I found the confidence to respond to my boss’s email instead of avoiding it. But I knew I needed the right approach—one that focused on the company’s needs rather than just my own.

So instead of explaining how my work-life balance had shifted, I framed it around the benefit of the team: I expressed that, given recent changes in team dynamics, I wanted to check in to ensure I could be available where and when I’m most needed. This way, I acknowledged the company’s priorities without making it about my own agenda.

Baruch Hashem, my boss understood, and all that fear? Completely unnecessary.