In honor of Mother’s Day, I want to show you a beautiful letter a Care.com employee, Gina wrote to her mom. Gina works on our Member Care team and manages our employees (mostly moms) who work from home. As a working mother myself, I hope my children feel the same way as Gina one day!
My Dearest Momma,
One day doesn’t seem like enough. One letter, words on a page, doesn’t seem enough. How can I express the gratitude for a lifetime of nurturing love you have invested — that has literally made me all that I am today? And all that I want my own child to feel one day as well.
This Mother’s Day, I guess all I can do is try. I can try to illustrate just how meaningful all of your hard work has been. Hard Work. Words I know well. So do you. As I mother now, I only have small glimpses into how challenging your life has been. With five mouths to feed. When being a woman mainly meant being domestic. You were determined to contribute to the household – yet you still managed to give us all so much comfort and attention. How?
Now, as a working mother with 1/5 the workload (my gorgeous little 2 year old girl), I think back to when you first started teaching art classes in our home. Eventually, we had a living room packed with your students two to three nights a week. Women from all over came. My friends’ moms came. And you made them feel like true artists. Then you helped them sell their art and make money for their families – from their budding new talent.
Now, I realize why you did this. Now, I see the timing of your art shows lined up perfectly with wanting to buy us back to school clothes and supplies – and wanting to put Christmas presents under our tree.
There may have been times when I wondered why you worked so hard. Why you had to take a call or meet with a student. Why you had to work late. But I get it now.
When I struggle with my own journey as a working mother today, I think back on what you showed me. You knew that you were a fantastic mom and an excellent entrepreneur. You wanted to share your passion for art, and you inspired so many other women around you. You supported our family. And in the end, you showed your children what it means to be a strong, successful working mom.
I hope I can show my daughter the same thing. I work because I love it. I’ve found something that challenges me, fulfills me, and that I know I’m good at. I love that I help to support my family. And this is on top of the love I feel being a Mom. Yes, it’s tough. I miss my amazing, ever-changing sweet girl each and every day. I hate walking out that door. But I love walking into my role here. I love the person I am at home – and at my job. I only hope I can be the role model to my baby that you were to me.
I hope that she feels like she always comes first in my life. I hope she grows up knowing that she can ask for my help with anything. No, I might not have the time to make lunches, go sledding, attend parent-teacher meetings, and help solve homework problems. But I’ll make the time. (How did you do that Mom?) I hope she’ll always feel safe knowing that nothing will come between us, even if I have to travel for work or take a trip to visit girlfriends who live far away. I hope she grows up proud of her Momma for trying to juggle it all, for being a good friend, a hard-working employee, and the best boo-boo kisser on the planet.
But I hope she sees my flaws too. Mom, I know you aren’t perfect. But that was your charm. You worked at being better, and that was perfect to me.
I hope my daughter never accuses me of loving my job more than her. But if she does, I will have to say: Baby, you are my world the way I was my Momma’s world. But you were given a gift, the way I was given a gift. And that gift is your drive to succeed, your compassion for people, your leadership skills. I’ve seen this from the time you were a year old. I work because I love it, but Sweet Girl, there is a difference between the love I have for my projects and the love I have for you. The love I have for work is in my brain and in my paycheck. But the love I have for you is felt deep down in my core. It is who I am – who I became the moment you entered my world. I will always define myself as your Momma first and an employee second. We are connected at the core. And one day, I know you will feel this too.
Happy Mother’s Day, Momma. Thank you for giving me the gifts of being passionate for my work and my family. Thank you for being the role model I needed when I was young – and helping me blaze a trail for what I know my daughter can become. Thank you.
Tell me, what do you appreciate your Mom for this Mother’s Day? What do you hope you pass down to your children one day?
P.S. Here’s a fun Mother’s Day video for your amusement!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBG3ZE3XGHI
