Juggling everything life has to offer is a struggle for every professional woman. There are tough decisions to make, rearranging to be done, and often (if not always), the grass seems greener in someone else’s yard. No one knows this better than professional women juggling a family. Libbo Crosswhite serves as High School Counselor for Madison-Ridgeland Academy, wife, mother of two, and recently received her Master’s Degree in Counseling from Mississippi College. Her story of forgetting labels and pursuing your passion is one that can be an inspiration to every professional woman.
Forget the Labels
For many, it seems there are two types of moms. There are stay-at-home moms and working moms. That’s it–just those two. I think we get that totally wrong and minimize the work to be done by a mother in the 21st century. There is not a mom on the planet I know who isn’t always working. Whether her career is at home or in an office, motherhood requires us to always be on call.
It also seems the phrase “the grass is always greener” has no truer meaning than when you are a mother who gets pinholed into one of these two categories. For working moms, there is the guilt that they are missing their babies grow up. For stay at home moms, there is the fear that they aren’t doing enough.
Eliminating the stereotypes and labels that come with motherhood allows moms to find their true passion and use that passion to complement the job of raising their children.
Pursue Your Passion
While you could technically classify me as a working mom, I am so much more than that. I think I speak for all working moms when I say our passion outside the home is what makes us unique. No matter what roles mothers choose for themselves, all options take courage and a whole lot of humility and flexibility as we navigate all the different roles that women themselves play.
Having found my passion, I am now able to love my family better when I get home. By feeling fulfilled at work, I am now able to be a better mom after work. I can remember calling my husband Clay the day I mustered up the courage to tell him I wanted to go back to school. I rehearsed it in my head many times.
“Yep, I want to go back to school.”
“Yep, we have a 2-year-old and a six-month old.”
“Nope, I have no idea how I am going to make it work.”
The truth is, I had no clue how it would all work out. The phrase “it takes a village” took on a whole new meaning. Our friends, family, and school community stepped in and played mom when I was in night classes. I honestly don’t know how I got through those three years, other than large amount of white chocolate mochas.
Be Proud
I wanted my children to see what it looked like to work hard for something that was a passion of mine. I wanted to love them better by fulfilling my life calling to be a counselor. No, it wasn’t easy and certainly not convenient or sane, but on this side of it, I will say it was 100% worth it. To hear “I love you mom!” from my tiny 4-year-old’s voice as I walked across the stage to receive my Master’s degree may be the proudest moment of my life. That experience will always serve as a reminder that it’s never too late or too inconvenient to pursue your passion.
May we ditch the stereotypes of working moms, stay-at-home moms, and every version of those two categories for the more appropriate title for all women who are raising children: superheroes.
By Guest Blogger:
Libbo Crosswhite
Counselor, Madison-Ridgeland Academy