Happy Mother’s Day!
One difference between Mother’s Day in the United States and in Mexico is that in the United States it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May (yesterday), while El Día de la Madre is celebrated every May 10 in Mexico.
The history behind Mother’s Day in the U.S. is fascinating. The fight to recognize and honor the sacrifices mothers make for their children and turn it into a National Holiday was led by Anna Jarvis. She, herself, was unmarried and childless, but believed that American holidays were biased towards male achievements. It’s basically a feminist holiday!
So, it seems fitting that today I celebrate some of the most inspirational feminists I know: Lawyer Moms.
In January 2020, Lori Mihalich-Levin’sVault article, What’s Missing from the ABA’s Report on Why Women Leave Law Firms?, reported “the data makes clear, experienced women lawyers bear a disproportionate brunt of responsibility for arranging for care, leaving work when needed by the child, children’s extracurricular activities, and evening and daytime childcare. Any one of these factors affects the time and effort expected for a successful law practice, and the combination competes all the more for a lawyer’s time.”
And that came out before the pandemic hit. Lawyer moms, whether solos or at firms, struggled over the past year. Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, you normalized that a crying child was not something shameful. You normalized that breaks need to be built in so that babies can be fed, lunches can be made, and e-learning can be accomplished. You worked to remind yourselves that breaks should also be taken to care for yourselves, and your needs, as well.
Trying to do it all was exhausting and felt unsustainable. But you persevered. Mostly, because there was no other choice. And Lawyer Moms get stuff done, even when it’s hard.
Today, I celebrate you, Lawyer Moms, and everything you stand for. I want you to know you’re a good mom. Everything you are doing is enough. You are enough. And you’re doing a great job!
Yours,
Renée N.G. Stackhouse
2021 SDCBA President
Reading now: When by Daniel H. Pink
Listening to: I Could Fall in Love by Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
What are you reading or listening to? Tag us #sdlaw #sdcba