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

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.

Hope is in the air…


It was a beautiful night in Pittsburgh. It was warm. It was pleasant. And the air was hopeful.

I completed Voter Protection training this evening. Afterwards I found myself standing on the corner with a crowd of other Obama supporters. My encounter was inspiring for a variety of reasons.

In true Obama fashion, it was a multicultural group of people—Black, White, Indian, and other. We were united by our desire for an Obama win. We were also united by our desire to achieve momentary “fame”. For the price of a moment we could have our comments to the campaign displayed on the side of a building. We had the task of completing the question, “I want Obama to win because…” We all completed that sentence in a variety of ways, but our intent was similar. We wanted a win as badly as we had ever wanted anything.

The energy on that corner was palatable. On the surface, we shared smiles and laughter. However, I think that we all secretly crossed our fingers and prayed. An Obama win would mean so much to us all. However, we didn’t want to jinx it by articulating our desire.

As we count down our last 40 hours. We shall be working, hoping, and praying. And we shall be better for it. It is exciting to have something to believe in. However, more than anything, I hope that on November 4th we have something to celebrate…
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