You’ve been there. I've been there. It's an emotional inconvenient response and you're drowning in it.
My friend is considering early retirement. Yes, in her early forties, most people would shun the idea, laugh explicably hollering, are you kidding? But you see, she’s been working in her field since her early twenties, supporting her family, (while her husband finished his schooling), while giving birth to 3 children. You see, she’s a badass, totally capable of working another 20 years, but she’s considering stepping out, in an effort to balance out the needs of her family and also be home with her children, something she’s never done because she’s worked full time her entire career. She’s excited about the idea, but also frightened. And she feels the guilt already creeping in like a sneaky little bitch.