Just For Mothers

Here's A Story I'm Sure You Will Enjoy


A few months ago, when I was picking up the children at school, another mother I knew rushed up to me. She was fuming with indignation.

"Do you know what you and I are?" she demanded.

Before I could answer~and I didn't really have one handy~she blurted out the reason for her question. It seemed she had just returned from renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office. Asked by the woman recorder to state her "occupation," she had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

"What I mean is," explained the recorder, "Do you have a job, or are you just a ....?"

"Of course I have a job." she snapped. "I'm a mother."

"We don't list 'mother' as an occupation...'housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day when I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman. poised, efficient, and possessed of a high-sounding title, like "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar."

"And what is your occupation?" she probed.

What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. "I'm...a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pompous pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest,"just what you do in your field?"

Coolly, without a trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply,"I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn't) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). I'm working for my Masters (the whole darned family) and already have four credits (all daughters).

Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are in satisfaction rather than money."

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants~age 13, 7, and 3. And upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model (six months) in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt triumphant. I had scored a beat on bureaucracy. And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another...."

Home...what a glorious career. Especially when there's a title on the door.

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I LOVE IT! I'm sure you can agree...Mom's are doing double, and triple duty these days; as career woman and wife, and friend, and more... Many of us are WAHM (for those of you who aren't internet junkies yet, that stands for Work at Home Moms. LOL). It''s an extremely demanding job, because you have to be able to balance the two, while maintaining some SANITY!

Well ladies, this forum is for YOU. For all those Aunties out there, who are like second moms to your neices and nephews, this forum is for you too. Love ya Zola. My sister, who is definitely like a second mom to my kids. I call her my second husband LOL. Maybe one day I'll have the honor of being an Aunty :-).

To all the moms, We love You!!!!!!

Aiyana