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

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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...
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Daughter, Keep Believing in Rainbows and Unicorns

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"Do you believe in magic in a young girl's heart"--John Sebastian

As working moms, we have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of parenting and of life. We live in a world fraught with contradictions, even when we like our jobs or love our jobs like maybe Jessica Alba, Heidi Murkoff and even Ivanka Trump, we experience "mom guilt" because we can't be everywhere at once. And, even when we can afford to outsource some of our mom duties, we feel guilty because we are not there. And in all honesty, it's not just because the kids are disappointed it's because we don't want to miss a thing. 


So, we navigate this working mom journey like Simone Biles navigates the balance beam--with great precision knowing that one misstep can result in an epic fail. 

Like Adam and Eve, our knowledge of good and evil has destroyed our innocence. Our knowledge has taken away any belief that we may have had in magic. We have missed one too many of our kids' milestones, been caught in traffic too many times, and have realized that there are limits to how many sleepless nights eye cream and concealer can hide... 

For that reason, sometimes we need a reminder about the possibilities that exist in the world. That is why I shared the photo of my daughter on this pink and purple unicorn. Even though she knows that it cannot fly, hugging it transported her to another place and elevated her mood. Most of us require much more to feel better. However, perhaps we shouldn't over complicate it.

Seeing her excitement and innocent smile made me remember when I used to believe without qualification that anything was possible. Since I've been on maternity leave I have found joy in my son's toothless grin, the relief he finds in burping and in the milk drunk haze he's in after nursing. These little things elevate my mood and make me believe that everything will be alright. I hope that I will continue to find joy in the simple things when I return to work. I also hope that her photo helps you find that joy as well.


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