One Secret to a Working Mom Success: Celebrate the Seasons With Traditions

Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three, working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. "Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world."— Susan Lieberman   Traditions have a way of defining a family, provide stability and give hope. They are especially important for woking moms who spend so much time working to provide for their family that they may miss some of the "traditional" mom things like bake sales, volunteering at the book fair, and a host of actual and seemingly made up holidays.  They are also important for families trying to reinvent themselves in the wake of d...

Despite the elements, I heeded the call to run...


The Steelers weren’t the only Pittsburghers who had a great sports day today. I had a great run. I am training for the Pittsburgh marathon. Today I decided that I would not let frigid weather, my fatigue, or my late Saturday night stop me from getting my miles in today.

I live by Heinz Field, where the Steelers play. My run took me through the fans walking to the stadium. And I their energy bolstered my spirits, just like they did for the Steelers. In the interest of full disclosure though, the fans were not uniformly supportive of my running efforts. Some cheered me, but others ridiculed me. I heard everything from “Go Girl” to “You’re crazy!”.

As I ran, I decided that just like publicity, there’s no such thing as a bad cheer. Every cheer made me run stronger, longer, and faster. I figured that there was no sense in me being cold and embarrassing myself in front of a bunch of people. I got a little too caught up though. I ran about 10 miles and it was only about 28 degrees out. Towards the end, I could barely feel my fingers. However, I was glad that I did not stop and I did not give up. When I got home, I had an intense feeling of accomplishment. I also felt kind of bad ass.

When I watched the Steelers win on TV, I felt like I was in good company. They weren't stopped by the elements either!
Enhanced by Zemanta

Comments