A few weeks ago, another mom told me that I work "too hard." It wasn't said in a "oh you work too hard, do something for yourself" kind of way, but in a way that indicated that my having a job was a detriment to how I raised my child.

I come from a family of hard workers and because of this, we are a family that achieve our dreams, reach our goals, and above all, are happy. Recently, my mom, who should be thinking about retirement, chose, instead, to open an art gallery and studio, highlighting her gorgeous artwork. She got there by working hard.

I worked hard to earn a PhD, which was one of my lifelong goals. While I was finishing up my course work, my husband and I adopted our daughter. I kept working and figured out how to do it while being a good mom and a wife because I knew that earning that degree would be a benefit to not just me, but to my family as well.

Currently, I freelance, both writing and work part time for a university on a diversity initiative--something that I'm passionate about.

The comment of "working too hard" has allowed me to reflect on why I work hard and what motivates me to continue to do so.

I work "too hard" :

-To be an example to my daughter--discipline, responsibility, and goal setting are all important to me and help me to make dreams and notes in my notebook a reality.

-To keep up. I'm not going to lie, being a working mom isn't easy. I have a household to manage as well as deadlines. I definitely put a little too much on myself because I want a clean house and laundry caught up. But, that's my choice, not a demand anyone puts on me. In fact, I'm more productive if I don't have a long list of household chores, so I may stay up a little too late and get up a little too early, but it makes my life more manageable.

-To travel. Traveling is an important part of my life and my families. We are a transracial family through adoption and it is important to expose my daughter to other cultures, ways of life, and to see other families not dissimilar from ours. Working hard lets us play hard.

-Because I want to. I enjoy working, reading, and doing. I don't find what I do boring. Writing is my passion, I feel like I'm making a difference at the university, and being a mom is one of the most important jobs I've ever had.

Though other people may not share my work ethic and may not like being busy, but I love it. My life is exciting and I know that my daughter is loving every minute of the life we've built as a family.