With tears in my eyes as I was driving home from another exhausting day at work I glanced at the clock: 6:45 p.m. By this time my baby is already fed, maybe bathed, and by the time we get home he'll be asleep from having another day of laughing and playing with someone other than me.

I think about how unfair this is, how unfair it is that I have to work, that I miss out on the beauty that is his childhood, and how horrible a mother I am to have chosen this. So I quickly call my sister and my good friend Claudia, both working moms. They reassure me that I love my son, that I'm working to provide for him, and that just because I have a career it doesn't make me a bad mother. On the contrary, I've always valued being independent and hope to show my son and perhaps future daughter(Lord willing :) that education is a great value and working hard for what you want out of life is an essential life skill and precious virtue.

So to all the moms who have ever...

been too exhausted to wash dishes at home after a hard day at work

called a number 3 from the drive thru "dinner"

fallen asleep with the kids...on the couch at 8 p.m.

pretended to be "asleep" because you're too tired when hubby gives you the "look"

wanted to scream at a SAHM for saying how exhausted she is

wished you had married a millionaire, thinking how it could have solved all your problems

or cried over the insurmountable guilt and love for your child.....

Relax. Remember your child will remember how much you loved him/her, not whether or not you worked at a desk all day or behind a kitchen sink.