Because My Mother Worked

Recently someone said to me--

"Your mother worked? She didn't stay home? Oh, I'm so sorry. It must be awful when a mother can't raise her child."

And I wanted to...

Well, I wanted to do a few things

But mainly I wanted to say something

I wanted to say--

Because my mother worked
I know about values

The value of taking responsibility
Of what it means to provide
For your family and your kids
And to get up at six every day
When you really don't want to
And to do it anyway

The value of contributing
Of giving something to society
Of knowing the greatest priority
Is putting food on the table
And keeping your kid's life stable

And if sometimes you miss things
You make it up by making sure
The rent gets paid
And the beds get maid
And pray that one day
Your kids will understand
Because they will
Because I do

The value of knowing you're not too good
To get your hands dirty
To pick up extra shifts
To not want hand-outs
To know how good it feels
To unseal your paycheck
And know that you earned it
And not because you're someone's cousin

Because my mother worked
Now I work too
And I'm good at what I do
Because I work hard
So she can see
That I remember everything
She taught me

And if you're a mom at home
Then good for you
My mom might have been too
But working was something
She had to do

I wanted to say all that
To that woman
Who said my mother didn't raise me
But you know what?

My mother raised me
Not to address stupidity