They were available to us but not intrusive. They were helpful but not assertive. They shared wisdom but never told us what to do. They were there for our children but never took away our time with them.
In September 2020 alone, a whopping 865,000 women left the workforce—four times the amount of men. And, of all the jobs eliminated in the first wave of layoffs post-pandemic, approximately 60% were women, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Department of Labor.
I cannot go to bed without saying goodnight. I cannot wait until I get to see her face in the morning. I look forward to seeing her after school and hear about her day.
I, too, am grieving a loss of self that I clawed and bled and fought to earn as a working mother in this society—an identity that seemingly disappeared overnight, largely without my consent.
