Beyoncé's announcement yesterday—that she would pull out of her plan to headline the Coachella Music Festival in April due to her pregnancy—resonated with working mothers everywhere.
That's because there isn't a working mom alive who hasn't had to make a choice between family and career—make that choice and make that every day.
Here's hoping Beyoncé's choice was an easy one for her, knowing that her health and that of her twins comes first.
Working moms are too often called on to make the call between family and work responsibilities. The result? Too often you're left feeling like you didn't do quite enough for either.
(And let's not even talk about making time to take care of yourself.)
Facing so many hard choices can make you feel like you're always letting someone down.
And yet, working moms will often try to muscle through. Or we'll leave on time to pick up the kids, make dinner, help with homework and put them to bed—only to get back online afterwards in an effort to catch up at work.
Don't even get me started on the daddy bump that comes when men have kids. Dads who leave early to go to soccer games are heroes. Moms who do it are not as committed to their careers.
What's so great about a high-profile working mom making a very public choice to put her family first is that no one is going to claim that because she's not going to headline this year's Coachella that Beyoncé isn't serious about her career.
Yes, Beyoncé's wealth certainly gives her privileges not available to the average working mom.
To start with, only 12 percent of U.S. employees have access to paid family leave. So for a lot of women, not going to work because a doctor told you it's best is just not an option if you want to continue to pay the bills and keep your health insurance. (A quarter of new moms go back to work after just two weeks.)
Beyoncé does not have that problem. She is the boss. She can pick and choose when she wants to work, where she wants to work, who she wants to work with, how long she wants to work for, and so on and so on and so on into eternity.
And she can afford to say no.
But as the Queen Working Mom, she can also show that committing to your family doesn't also mean you are no longer committed to your career.
And to that, we working moms say, Amen.
instant happy in your
mailbox every day.