“Pass the Parcel”

Changing your career late in life is not really changing, it’s shifting. It’s taking everything you’ve learned, everything you’ve fought for, and walking it down a new path. But I’ll be honest, it’s hard to stay patient when the world feels like it’s moving without you.

I’ve spent more than twenty years in this industry. I’ve collected awards, earned glowing reviews, and led incredible teams; yet here I am, still waiting for that next open door. This isn’t about lacking experience or skill; it’s about timing and, in today’s climate, opportunity. With so many companies pulling back on DEI, the landscape has shifted again. People forget that DEI wasn’t about giving unqualified people a seat, it was about qualified people finally getting a fair shot.

So yes, I get frustrated. Some days, I’m angry. Other days, I’m jealous watching friends and colleagues land roles, sign deals, and make their next big move while I’m still in the waiting room.

Then today, something small but divine happened. My kids were watching Bluey, and the episode “Pass the Parcel” came on, one I’ve seen a dozen times before. But this time, it hit different.

In the episode, Bingo gets upset because she doesn’t win the prize. Every round, someone else unwraps a gift because in their version, everyone’s a winner. But eventually, they go back to the real rules — one prize, one winner. And when Bingo finally wins, it means something. She earned it.

And there it was, the reminder I needed. Life isn’t a “everybody-gets-a-prize” game. It’s about waiting for your moment, your turn, your gift. It doesn’t mean others winning is unfair; it just means your time hasn’t arrived yet.

I sat there thinking about that, how I’ve been trying to rush my next chapter, worried that maybe I’d missed my moment. But God reminded me through a children’s cartoon that what’s for me will always find me. And when it does, it won’t just be a job, it will be the opportunity I’ve been preparing for all along.

So for now, I’ll clap for everyone else as they unwrap their gifts. Because when mine finally comes around, I know it’s going to fit perfectly.