At home or elsewhere, moms are on the job
Long Island Lotto winner Patricia Eisel of Long Beach poses with her over-sized Lotto prize check. Credit: Charles Eckert
I am writing to take exception to the very poor choice of words you used to describe lottery winner Patricia Eisel's plans ["$21.5M jackpot," News, Jan. 28]. You said she "plans to become a full-time mom" to her two elementary school age children.
Unless she has been sharing custody with an ex, Ms. Eisel has been a full-time mom all along. Just because she holds a paying job outside of the home does not mean she is a "part-time mom" to her children.
Mothers who work outside of the home have struggled for years with society's image of them as "less than" when it comes to being there for their children. Not to mention grappling with their own feelings of being not good enough.
I have all the respect in the world for these moms who, whether by choice or by necessity, are working at two jobs: business and motherhood. Motherhood is a round-the-clock job, with no time off.
Most women in this position juggle their responsibilities very well and do not need to have the social image they fight so hard against upheld by the media.
By the way, I am a stay-at-home mom. We moms need to stick up for each other.
Lori Ballen
Brookville
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