Today, I’m Celebrating My Working Mom

Our mothers teach us so much. They raise us to be productive members of society, imbuing us with dreams, goals and passions to take on the world. From table manners to the rules of the road, the skills our mothers are actively teaching us are endless—and the lessons they indirectly teach us, when they don’t know we are looking, are even more impactful.

Unfortunately, too often, we don’t take the time to thank our moms for all of the things they do for us—and for all of the life lessons they’ve passed along to us—while they’re juggling the rest of their responsibilities. That’s why this year, the Girl Scouts Heart of the South are making the time.

We’ve dubbed today National Working Mothers’ Day—and we’re starting off this weekend’s celebrations of mothers with a commemoration to working moms of our own.

Here are just some of the life lessons I’ve learned from my working mother—and just a few of the reasons she and all working mothers deserve the recognition and celebration today.

  1. The act of giving selflessly. After a full day of work and checking on my grandmother, my mom is the glue that keeps my family together. She never complains about doing the chores no one wants to do. She will make sure her employees and our family have what we need to be successful before ever thinking of herself. She truly exemplifies what it is to be a servant leader—at work and at home.
  2. Time management. My mother is a CEO, an active volunteer in her community and a mentor to many. She is also a daughter, a wife and mother. Somehow, she juggles each of our busy schedules, including her own. Even in the midst of all the things she handles at work, she will stop and go get something I need for school on her lunch break before rushing back to finish up. With an endless to do list and only so many hours in the day, I am truly inspired by all she is able to accomplish.
  3. Hard work and determination go a long way. Not everything in life is easy. By persevering through tough times, my mom has transformed processes. I have learned to work my hardest—and that if you are doing work you enjoy, it won’t feel so much like work! My mom teaches me to be determined; even when she is having a bad day, she is always trying to do her best and work her hardest. She’s taught my sister and me that you must work hard, play hard and do what you enjoy. I am inspired to dig in, make a difference and truly find work that I am passionate about because of her example.

Earlier this year, Welch’s conducted a survey of 2,000 American mothers with kids between five and 12 years of age. The study revealed that a mother starts her day, on average at 6:23 a.m.—and doesn’t conclude duties until 8:31 p.m., working a 14-hour day, seven days a week. That means working moms are clocking in 98 hours of work each week—equivalent to working two and a half full-time jobs!        

Join me in celebrating working moms—of all stripes and situations. Let’s make time to lift up moms who meet deadlines and still show up to carpool, who lead team meetings at the office and then help their kids with homework, who put in hard hours during their shifts but still find time to cheer for us in the stands. Recognize them on social media using #NationalWorkingMothersDay2018—and check out our campaign website for more ideas for getting involved!

About

Emmaline Schild is a junior in high school. She is active in her school participating in lacrosse and serving in leadership roles in various clubs. In her community, she is a proud Girl Scout and teen contributor to 4Memphis.