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More American families are enjoying greater prosperity than ever before. This fact sounds great as we listen to politicians make speech after speech extolling the great economic gains that have occurred in the last decade. What politicians and pollsters tend to avoid saying is that this increased economic benefit isn't only due to rising wages and more employment opportunity, it is also a result of more family members working---especially black and Hispanic women.
Without increased earning from wives, single and divorced women, the economic boom would be only a fraction of what the statistics show. And, while it is wonderful that women are now permitted in the work place, their salary for the same position that is held by a man still remains significantly less. Although the glass ceiling is starting to crack, in reality a gender gap still exists.
I have been thinking about working women a lot this week. My youngest child is now in college and purchasing school supplies has morphed into paying major tuition bills. As I make my supermarket runs, and watch endless school supplies slide through the check-out counter, I remember my own mixture of pleasure and exhaustion as I got my children ready for school. During part of that time, I was a single working mom. Yes, I feel fortunate that I had a career and that unlike some of my friends, I was able to afford the necessities my children needed, but I also remember the juggling act being a working mom required. There never seemed to be enough time to do it all. (Because there never was.) I remember being tired almost all the time. Watching working moms do what I once did, I wonder how many of them, as they go through the check out line, think how glad they are that they are working? I suspect more often than not, they are fretting about their child's safety, juggling schedules and simply getting enough sleep.
The statistics indicating the benefits of increased financial security, never get to tell the total tale. For working moms, the price can be very high. And if you are divorced or part of a blended family, you deserve an additional degree–Master Juggler.
This column's
for you,
Dr. D.
Dorree Lynn,
PH.D.
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