A Secret to Success as a Working Mom: Turn Burn Out Into Bliss and Embrace Joy

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Last weekend my youngest was committed to going to the "Water Steps" a man-made water fall in Pittsburgh by the rivers. (Fun Fact: Three rivers converge in Pittsburgh--The Ohio River, The Monongahela River, and the Allegheny River.)  He kept asking. I knew he was serious when he said, "If you won't take me, I'll ask  daddy!" Given that it was highly unlikely that would happen on an unscheduled day, I relented. So, we went. It wasn’t planned in the way most things in my life are. No calendar block. No checklist. No “productive” purpose attached. And, so in some respects it was uncomfortable. And yet, it seemed necessary. It was the idea of my 8-year-old—offered with the kind of urgency only children possess when something is profoundly important to them.
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Reflections on a New Year's Eve in China

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Several years ago my mother and I ventured to China to visit my sister and we greeted the New Year together. On the last day of the year in 2007, I had the privilege of climbing the Great Wall of China with my mother. It was exhilarating and was a tremendous way to commemorate the year.
 

A New Year's Eve in Beijing, China 

 
The climb tired my mother. And she was asleep before the clock struck twelve. So, that evening, I got dressed in my trusty black leather skirt and sparkly sleeveless turtleneck and went to the hotel lobby.  I wound up toasting the New Year with some very nice Canadians. Ironically, the next day while watching the Today Show I learned that Beijing is known for its lively New Year's Eve celebration replete with fireworks and music. Apparently, Communists still like to party! I couldn't believes that was there and missed it all...
 
Even though I missed the festivities. I will always remember New Year's Eve 2007 as one of the best ever!
 
Mom and I smiling on the Great Wall
 

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