[Sabbath is Career Calling’s Sunday feature that looks beyond careers to larger issues of work and life.]
Family Stuff
Mother’s Day: Glen Beck recently condemned Mothers’ Day as a “Hallmark Holiday.” On one level, he’s right. Cards, candy, and flowers sell big this weekend every year. However, on a deeper level, we need Hallmark Holidays. They remind us to appreciate what mothers, fathers, bosses, and secretaries do to make our lives better. We’re all over scheduled and deluged with phone messages and emails and, for some people (not me) text messages.
How much would an at-home-mom make if she were paid? According to the Sun-Times and Salary.com, the correct salary would be $117, 856. Working mothers would earn an additional $71,860 beyond their salary. Of course, mothers – and fathers – volunteer their time to raise children and, more and more, care for their own aged parents. In many European countries, women and men who take time off for family leave are compensated by their employers. These countries often offer day care for free or a reduced cost.
On a down note, the same article reports that single mother’s have seen their unemployment rate jump from 8% in 2007 to 13.6 in 2009. It’s hard enough for two parents with jobs to raise a family. I can’t imagine how a mother with no job deals with the work and stress of parenthood. Let’s keep these moms in mind while we celebrate this Mother’s Day
To read more interesting Mother’s Day facts, follow this link to the Sun-Times article.
Family Values with an Oy Vey: One of my favorite radio shows signed off last week. The host and creator of the show, Greg Morelli, said that he had enough. It was time for something new. I enjoyed the show because it opened the door to a real family with all its quirks. Greg’s brother Joey, chef and owner of Joey’s Brickhouse, his father, Frank, and his mother, Barbara, would appear each week. Sometimes they’d fight. Sometimes, they’d tell stories about growing up in Chicago’s North Shore Suburbs. Whatever the topic, it was clear that this family loved and supported each other, which is a rare thing in a media world that feeds us a daily diet of sadness and scandal.
Change is hard, but often a path to happiness. Greg felt WCPT (820 AM) was not supporting his career or appreciating his talent. So he chose to move on. He and Joey are also talking about closing the restaurant. Sometimes, it’s good to start over. If you don’t believe me on this topic, read Seth Godin’s book The Dip. Winners know when to quit. The Morelli brothers are winners – they will find new ways to celebrate their gifts.
Happy Mothers’ Day to Barbara Morelli, and best wishes to her talented sons wherever the future takes them.
