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.

Thank You Serena Williams!

Photo credit: Wimbledon 2018
This week Serena Williams lost at Wimbledon, but that is not the story. The story is that Serena Williams competed at Wimbledon less than ten months after giving birth to her daughter and about eight months after having significant pregnancy related complications. By competing, she gave hope to working moms every where. She made us expand our thoughts about life's possibilities and about what it means to be a mom simply by competing. 


And, then, when she lost, she let us know that she was fighting for us. She demonstrated such grace and humility when she said, "I was really happy to get this far. For all the moms out there, I was playing for you today." Serena, we saw you. We cheered for you. And, we thank you. Thank you for playing for us and for re-defining what it means to be a working mom!

Related Article


Chaton's World: A Working Mom's Quest for Balance in Stilettos© : Celebrity Sports Moms Have the Same Challenges We Do: My daughter and me "First Day of Kindergarten"  There are several examples that remind us that the world of work was not desi...

Comments