I was recently invited to a workshop on “Caregiver Bias,” which was explained as a problem in our society that people who take care of children, older or sick relatives, or others in need don’t do as well in their careers.  In addition, they said, since Caregiving is more often done by women than by men, these social norms are discriminatory and need to be corrected.  The workshop was part of a broader Diversity and Inclusion initiative, which includes support for women’s reproductive choices.

But shouldn’t Caregiving for children, the elderly, the sick, and the needy be what we celebrate and admire most?  Shouldn’t we choose Caregiving?

In that spirit, for this Mother’s Day post, I choose to salute a diverse set of Mothers:

• I salute those mothers who choose to serve their families and communities full-time.  Those who volunteer on the PTA, at the local church and food pantry, and who make the school plays and concerts run smoothly.
  I salute the working mothers who choose to make time for the PTA, their church or food pantry, and the school play.
• I salute those full-time mothers who choose to keep their calm when asked “so, what exactly DO you do all day?”
• I salute those mothers who choose to run their own business in a way that allows time for them to spend with their children.
• I salute those mothers who didn’t plan on having children but choose to love and care for them always.
• I salute those mothers who choose a partner who can focus on Caregiving where they can.
• I salute those who choose to support those in need who are someone else’s children and relatives, as if they were their own.
• I salute those who choose to support the choices of all mothers, even if their choices aren’t what they would choose themselves.

Mothers[1] very often sacrifice for the benefit of others, and this Mother’s Day let’s celebrate and admire them all, especially the ones who demonstrate that Caregiving might be the most important career of all.  Let’s be biased in their favor, not today but every day.

After all, aren’t our careers a way to provide what not only we need, but also what others need and can’t provide for themselves?  As suggested by the Apostle Paul a long time ago:
“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” – Ephesians 4:28

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[1] Fathers do too, but this is Mother’s Day.  Look for my Father’s Day post about a month from now.