One Secret to Success for a Working Mom, Expand Your Village (Jack and Jill of America)

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Jack and Jill of America member and her daughter Recently, I have become keenly aware that good kids are created by accident. They become good because someone made a concerted effort to pour positive things into them--things like, honor, discipline and respect for others. These qualities are taught through lessons and by observation. For that reason, I have been actively considering how to give my children more examples of people who embody those qualities.  Indeed, raising my children to become good people is my most important job.
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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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