Add this to your to do list

Did anyone happen to catch Friday's 20/20? I don't normally watch but a promo grabbed my attention and I had to DVR it. Over the weekend I replayed it and listened intently to their piece on whether or not working mothers can really have it all.

I can't help but feel unsatisfied and yes, frustrated and angered by some of this piece. Despite statistics stating the working mothers are some of the best employees to have as they are reliable, loyal, and hard working, some companies will not hire women who are single mom's or might be having children in the next few years. This was an actual quote from an HR rep from an unnamed company! Cut to a CEO of another Fortune 500 company who restates the stats that working mothers are an assest but trying to get funding for daycare at the job place or additional benefits he is always denied. It was also stated that the U.S. is behind every other country in the world except for Papua New Guinea and Australia for maternity leave benefits. So sad but I've heard this numerous times. North Korea even beats us!

What I found so frustrating about this piece, besides the sad state of affairs are country is in as far as childcare and family benefits, is that it ended with this. Ok so we know the problem but now it's up to us mothers to add one more item to our 'To Do' lists and fight the problem. Haven't we been doing this?

We have made strives since our mothers paved the way in the 1970's. It's also becoming clear that "having it all" is really a state of mind and more often than not extremely hard to obtain. It's not impossible but what really kills me is that lots of people feel that if it's not their problem then they don't want anything to do with it. Really? The future of our society only lays in the hands of those who bear children?! Hmm... We are the only ones who should shill out tax dollars and fight for these rights? Just families with kids? Interesting. Seems to me that those without kids should help out too because they can be adversely or not adversely affected later as society continues it's swirl down the drain.

But that's just me. It's just my opinion. We all live here and if we all protect the earth and we all want a better, safer, smarter country that doesn't fall behind tecnologically, economically and socially we all have to take responsiblity for our future and that means taking care of each other.