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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Holiday Memories With The Sugar Plum Fairy

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Celebrating @PghBallet

My mother was a young mom with few resources when I was a young child. However, in hindsight it's clear that she had certain values that she held dear--family, tradition, and love. Although we didn't make it every year, my childhood holiday memories include attending The Nutcracker. My mom would get us dressed in our finest and we would trek down to the Eastman Theater to see The Nutcracker. Often cousins would join us and afterward we'd have dinner at the Cathay Pagoda, a popular Chinese restaurant. 

It was truly special. It was an evening when we didn't think about what we lacked instead, we reveled in what we had. We felt--rich!

This year, my daughter and I were the fortunate recipients of free tickets to The Nutcracker in Pittsburgh (and free parking). So, last Friday evening, on opening night, we went downtown to the Benedum Theater. Our seats were in the center and only five rows back. We could almost feel the sweat from the dancers. The show was just as splendid as I remembered and I saw the same look of wonder and amazement in my daughter's eyes. 

We received the tickets as a gift from a colleague who has season tickets. She gave them to us because she said that it brings her pleasure to know that she made the holiday brighter for a little. I can promise you that she surely did. 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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