Can We Have It All??

This week  Marissa Mayer, the 37 year old CEO of Yahoo was featured on the cover of Fortune magazine looking stunningly svelte and polished by any Madison Avenue standard.  Ms. Mayer was promoted to CEO of Yahoo a few months ago, when she was six months pregnant. Instead of being photographed for Fortune as an expectant mom, she choose to wait until the baby was born (last week) and then ultimately use a photo taken a year and a half ago.

Was she dissing motherhood? Probably not.  But as a "Girl-Power" flag waver, I'd like to see her acknowledge that women, even moms, can achieve great things!  It would be very empowering to those of us who wonder if our chance to make a difference in this world is on hiatus until our youngest child celebrates their 18th birthday.

Being a mom is a big part of who I am.  It's my personal perspective point, and it has been for the last fourteen years.  To be honest,  I'm not sure if that perspective will ever change back to what it was in my pre-mommy days.  Even as my children grow older,  I tend to see the world through the eyes of a mother.  I frequently ask myself, "How will this affect ALL children?" --Even if it's not MY children in particular.

So, while I doubt Ms. Mayer was dissing motherhood, or moms in general, I'm disappointed that her role of mommy took backseat to the role of CEO.  Maybe I'm wrong... maybe there should be a dividing line between work and home.  Maybe that compartmentalization, which most of us females are unable to do well,  keeps Mayer's sanity.  I can respect that.  I've never walked a mile in her shoes, so I can't judge her.  Plus, I'm pretty sure I've never been asked to run ANY company, much less a Fortune 500 company, either before or after having kids!

Can a woman have it all?  Can anyone?  Do I lack the ambition to even attempt having it all?  Probably! I have everything I desire, and I'm beyond grateful that my "everything" desire became fulfilled when I took on the roles of wife and mother.  The rest I do is just filler...