My Mother, the Bada$$
I’m probably breaking some etiquette rules here by titling my blog post with a curse word (and posting it on LinkedIn). But, it would go against everything I’m about to write if I didn’t take advice from my mom. As she would say, sometimes you have to take a risk to stand out.
The traditional stereotype for American families is a soft and kind mother with a tough father who brings home the bacon. I’m not here to say my mother is not kind or my dad does not work hard. What I am here to say is that being raised by a hardworking woman who knows how to command the respect of any room she walks into has dramatically formed who I am as a person.
Watching my mom on the evening news, circa 2004
For the first eight years of my life, my mother was a journalist. Most of the time I wasn’t allowed to watch her news stories because she reported on topics like the D.C. sniper, which you probably wouldn’t want your toddler tuning into either. However, some of my earliest memories include being ecstatic because I was allowed to watch Mommy on TV that night. When she didn’t have to work late or wasn’t filming her night-time sports talk show, hearing high heels click into the house at 6:30 p.m. filled me with joy because it meant my mom was home.
But, a lot of times she did have to work late, or through holidays and birthdays. While I’ve known my whole life how awesome it is to be raised by a boss woman, I was also a little girl who wanted more time with her mom.
She agreed. So, in 2011 she switched career paths, becoming the media relations director for two large suburban DC police departments. Eventually, she took a leap of faith and decided to invest her full-time efforts into herself, founding Julie Parker Communications.
Over the last decade, I have watched her put her all into her work, as I have always seen her do. But, selfishly, I loved that she was leaving her traditional role behind and working from home. My mom is someone I can always look up to and learn from personally and professionally. But, she is also my mother. Sometimes you just need to call your mom to rant, explain a new TikTok trend, ask what doctors you’re supposed to be seeing at this age, or beg her to send you videos of your family dogs.
My mom has taught me a lot of things throughout her life. One of the most impactful was how to survive.
I received a diagnosis at 15 that made it feel like my world was crashing around me. That time is one of the only periods of my life where I have memories of my mom crying. Despite how my diagnosis may have been sending her into a panic, one of the few ideas that kept me composed during that time was knowing how she was once in my shoes.
My mom also received a life-changing diagnosis in her teenage years. Being able to look at her, how far she’s come, and how she doesn’t let anything stand in her way gave me someone to look up to during treatment, even though I wasn’t around to see her fight all those years ago.
Since coming to college, I have realized just how different everyone’s relationships with their families are. Some of my friends call their mom eight times a day. We aren’t like that.
I have to confirm my mom is done working if I want to talk to her even at 8:30 p.m. She knows I probably won’t respond to her until she’s been up for hours because I’ll have been doing work until 2 a.m. Her work ethic has left me with no choice but to be a woman in the workforce she would be proud of.
I’ve heard countless stories from female colleagues about how they’ve been talked over and disrespected by others in the workplace. I am an individual strict about following respect, hierarchy, and etiquette on the job. However, it is because of the woman who raised me that I have been learning how to use my voice and command the well-earned respect of those around me - and be ok with admitting that respect is well-earned!
I am the person I am today because of my mom. I’m not going to sit here and act like her raising a mini-me hasn’t led to our big personalities clashing from time to time. But, I wouldn’t trade her for the world.
I know she’s reading this because she is my biggest fan. It’s pretty cool when your role model is constantly in awe of you too. Love you, momma.
You heard it here first,
Kylie
