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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Pregnancy, the tie that binds...

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Pregnancy 2010

It is somewhat amazing how pregnancy binds women.  Once you're in the club people confide in you.  They will tell you about their sex lives, difficulties conceiving, and birth experiences without pause.  It is as if the belly contains a truth serum that compels all women--friends, acquaintances, strangers, to share intimate details about their lives.


I have heard about low sperm counts, lack luster sex lives, and husbands who proved to be unreliable partners.  I have heard about chafed breasts, sore nether regions, and postpartum depression.

People have also asked me the most personal questions.  They have asked me about my weight gain and whether I was "trying to conceive".  Someone even asked me, "girl how did you get pregnant?!"  I just laughed. I couldn't bring myself to say, "I think it was holiday cheer and champagne."  Then again, perhaps I should have answered the question.  It seems as if when you're in the club, nothing's off limits.

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