The Unspoken Career of Motherhood

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How many of you have chosen motherhood as a career?  

The definition of a career is “an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress.”

If that doesn’t sum up motherhood in a nutshell, I don’t know what does. 

You won’t hear the career concept of motherhood on social media, headlined in the news, up on a billboard or offered as a field of study option in academia.  

This career choice is among the hidden and something rarely spoken. 

These days, it is a non-traditional career claiming little associated monetary value, fame or glory. This career choice is simply an extension of love to and for others. 

Making A Choice

I intentionally chose motherhood as a career over 16 years ago because that is where I placed value on my time. I made a choice to stray from a traditional “business” career to be behind-the-scenes building and tending to life.

Do I lambast those who have chosen otherwise? Absolutely not! I am so incredibly proud that they have made their own choice and wholeheartedly support them. They have taught me so much and help me learn and grow each and every day. 

Do I feel the need to validate myself and explain my career decision with past accolades and honors to reassure myself and others of my choice? Not anymore. I used to apologize and dismiss the very notion of this choice. Now that I’m deep into the teen years with my three kids, the value of motherhood and what I offer and contribute has seeped into my bones.  

The career choice of motherhood needs no justification or explanation and can stand on its own merit.

How to be “More” in a “Do More and Be More” Society

At this stage of the game, I’m prodded to get a “real” job and get out into the world, go do more and be more.  Guess what?

I am more. 

I am a full-time mother.  My heart is in raising three teens. I stand in this place for myself and for my family and view it as an incredible opportunity and blessing. 

Not to say it has been a cake walk. Sometimes, it has been tough to justify staying in a 24/7 on-call career with no monetary compensation or path to promotion. At times, I have fallen hook, line and sinker for what society preaches to us—go play bigger in your life, go be seen, go be heard. I took my turn, but learned motherhood is my way of being in this world. 

The Intangibles of Motherhood

The rewards of motherhood are unseen, undefined and out of scope from what our society tells us is important. Yet, those rewards are heartfelt and validated from the inside out.

It is satisfaction enough to be serving in the biggest possible way—offering your whole self for the benefit of someone else’s growth and development. 

Moms don’t typically get their name up in lights. The masses don’t recognize them. Fortunately, that doesn’t lessen the effect.

Our choices and actions as mothers will always ripple out and have an immeasurable impact on the world. 

Someday, somehow, “MOTHERHOOD” will find itself up in lights and people will speak of it as a revered career. If Sheryl Sandberg can be highlighted as one of the most influential women in America for running an incredible company, so can any woman who has chosen motherhood as her career.  

There will come a time when a “mother” sits before someone like Oprah and humbly shares her story. A story of serving her family and community on purpose. 

She will incite the masses who have for generations chosen this career. They finally will stand and speak their career choice without shame.

They will proudly say, “I play big in my career as a mom.”

2 COMMENTS

  1. We’ll said, love it & TOTALLY AGREE!! Our names are not in lights or public, but what we do, either now or later, is deeply felt & appreciated for years to come by our families & community, even if they don’t acknowledge it in the present. Thank you so much for sharing & writing what so many Moms think & should strive to believe. Love it!

  2. Thank you for writing this! I too stay at home even though my youngest is almost 11 and they could probably take care of themselves while I get out and get a “real job” but I don’t want that for my family. Sometimes I feel like my teens might need me home now more than ever before! It makes me sad to think that ours will likely be the last generation of “career moms” because the pressure is so strong for women to do more.

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