1. I became more independent- I never understood why some of my peers cried on the first day of kindergarten. I had no desire to cling to my mom's leg and beg her not to leave me there. It was just another day of my mom dropping me off for a couple hours. Nothing new here!
2. I gained life skills at a young age- I believe I was in 4th grade when I started learning how to cook dinner for my family. It wasn't because my mom didn't want to cook, it was just easier to do it myself those nights she worked late. Plus, Dad's famous pork and beans or frozen pizza didn't always cut it.
3. My mom missed some school events and that was ok- My mom made it to maybe one field trip or class party a year, depending on her vacation days. Honestly I wasn't too disappointed. It made it that much more special when she could attend. She tried her best to be there as much as she could, but providing for her family was always top priority.
4. She showed I could be more than a house wife- My mom was the bread winner of our family, and she was proud of it. She didn't need or really even want a man to take care of her. She went to college and knew she had the potential to take care of herself and be successful in the working world. Her strength and determination was no doubt contagious.
5. She was a rock star- Not only did she work 8 hours a day at a real place of employement, but she still came home and would make dinner, do laundry, clean the house, drop us off at practices, and so much more. Was she always perfect at it? No, and I wouldn't have expected her to be. She went the extra mile and did her best at balancing her two "jobs".
My mom never had the time to pack my lunch for school. Sometimes she was gone for days or weeks on a work trip. There were even days that she couldn't come get me when I was sick at school because she had an important meeting she could not miss. However, she always kept my sister and myself a top priority and worked her butt off to provide all that she could for us. For that, I am eternally grateful to have grown up with a working mom.