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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Thankful Thursday: Me and My Mama

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Photo credit: Craig Ashby taken at book signing of "Dream Come True"

"My identity rests firmly and happily in one fact: I am my mother's daughter." -Spanglish

 Everyone knows that it takes a village to raise a child. And for me, my mama, Cecilia Griffin Golden, is at the heart of my village.
She has been there for me in so many ways, but she really shows up in force when I have my kids. She shows me what to do, steps in when I'm fatigued, and makes lots and lots of food. She mellows me, even though she has been known to be a little hyper herself! :-)

 Many reading this might not be impressed because "that's what moms do". However, providing that support is impressive. And receiving that support is life changing. It gives me the courage to relax in who I am and to give my children the best part of me.

 Our relationship is perfectly imperfect. Sometimes we argue. And sometimes we get on each others nerves. That's the nature of all relationships. But what we are, in our glorious imperfection are mother and daughter. I have no story without her. My character is stronger because of her. And the life that I live is a function of the sacrifices she made for me and the vision she had for my life. 
So on this, dreary, rainy, Thursday, I want to publicly give thanks for my mom and all that she does for me. I'm grateful for it. And although I've come to rely on it, I do not take it for granted.

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Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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