One Secret to Succeeding as Working Mom-Celebrate Each Day

A sunset on Lake Erie at Presque Isle

“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down” -The Carpenters

One of the challenges of being a working mom is appreciating that the journey you are walking is a blessed one, even if it is fraught with traffic jams.  And sleepless nights. And breastfeeding challenges that only one who has walked this walk would understand. I'm going to table my strong opinions for a moment about how Corporate America and America in general might provide a more conducive environment for women to maximize their earning potential, use their talents to benefit this country and raise productive members of society. (News Flash they could and should do better. To read about why working moms are angry, click here.) I will also not debate whether or not Serena Williams, who is paving the way for working moms in sports, got a fair shake at the US Open this past weekend. However, that is an issue that should be discussed.

Instead, I have penned a post that I hope will serve as a reminder to us all that even in the midst of our challenges, we are richly blessed. Indeed, we have these dilemmas and hardships because we chose to enrich our lives by becoming mothers. And the blessings that we have received far outweigh the hardships...

Growing up, my mom was a fan of the Carpenters. I never asked her if it was the haunting, smooth, voice of Karen Carpenter or the relatable lyrics. It might have been a little bit of both. Well, since being a working mom, time has an added significance. I used to talk about being tired or busy before procreating. Now, busy and tired have become my baseline. There is so much to do with three kids, a full-time job, a marriage and extracurricular activities like board memberships and community service. 

Enjoying some fun at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum

I know that I am not alone, busy and working mom are synonymous. Today was a particularly challenging morning not because of the kids but because of the weather. Indeed, it was like God had decided to reenact the great flood in Pittsburgh. It has been raining for days nonstop and making the effort to actually get ready, leave the house, and navigate the detours that were created because of the weather was almost too much to bare!

Still, the other week, one of my working mom sisters tragically and unexpectedly left this earth to be with the Lord. Behind, she left her young son and all her earthly obligations. I have come to learn that she was far sicker than most of us appreciated and her daily chores had become quite a burden.  I think that she would have given anything to have a “normal” busy day.

Regardless of What Happens, Take Time to Celebrate Each Day

Her untimely death reminded me that we should consider it all joy—the busyness, the sleepless nights, the unexpected kids’ stuff that happens to throw us off schedule. Even the rain that has been pummeling Pittsburgh for the past three days…The truth is, we are extraordinarily blessed to be living our lives, to be able to share precious moments with our children and to be able to provide for them.  

To remind us all of this, and in honor of Nicole, I recommend that we take time to celebrate each day. Take five minutes when we arrive at work to pause, breathe deeply, thank God that we arrived safely, and look at some photos that remind us of why we do what we do (above are some from my phone that made me smile). If we are living a thoughtful life, all of our activities should be helping to advance our ultimate goal.

If you find your life full of things that have no purpose, reassess them and begin cutting those things out of your life. If you don’t know how to do that, contact me, I can help.