Working mothers and homemakers

“Ican only answer the question, ‘What am I to do?’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part?’’

Alasdair Macintyre, Scottish philosopher and author of the book, After Virtue

“The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only and that is to support the ultimate career.”

C.S. Lewis, British author, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Christian apologist

The 15h of April was a memorable and a significant date for many CPAS. It was the deadline for filing annual income tax returns. A week or two before this date, their work becomes frantic and a few days before the 15th many of them would spend many working hours in the office, even sleepless nights to complete the work and meet the income tax filing deadline. I know how this feels for I have spent more than three decades of my life working in one of the big accounting firms (Firm) in the country. I also know the joyful feeling the day after when you have delivered your report and kept your promise to your clients. You get a slack or break from hectic work but not for long as the work begins to peak again in the next few months nearing the year end. This is the story of their life as CPAS and my story too.

I imagine how it feels for the CPAS who are working mothers and homemakers at the same time. Their work must be more challenging compared to their male counterparts. It seems like their work never ends as they get home to fill their role as homemakers after a tiring day in the office. There is dinner to be served for their husband and children, a child’s homework to be checked, and tasks to be assigned to their house helper, if they are able to hire one. Working, mothering and homemaking seemed like working all the time. Are they wonder women? Maybe they are for I have seen them in a number of my colleagues who are working mothers and homemakers at the same time. I even served three working mothers and homemakers who became chairpersons and senior partners of our Firm. Their leadership was instrumental in developing a caring, professional and a strong family culture in the Firm.

There is another memorable and unforgettable date for me in April, which is the 19th. It was the 4th year death anniversary of my mother. She was not a CPA but she was one true working mother, a faithful homemaker and a wonder woman in my book.

Her name is Agripina (I fondly call her Nanay Elay), who at a young age of 23 gave birth to her first-born child named, Angelito. She was a dressmaker while her husband was jobless at that time. She bore six more children after the first child. How she and her husband raised them and sent them all to finish college was short of a miracle.

She needed to support the meager income of her husband to be able to make both ends meet. With seven children we were a big family but not a rich one, by any standard but we always had food on the table each day. She raised hogs, ventured into an eatery business, sold on installment leather goods made in Marikina, and provided care giving to elderly people to earn some money. She did everything she could to keep her promise to all her children that she, together with her husband, will send all of them to school and get their college degrees. She kept this promise and all of her seven children completed their education and got their chosen degrees. Two of them became CPAS, myself and one of my sisters.

This is my mother’s story and the stories of many other CPAS who are working mothers and homemakers at the same time. I have worked with them for many years and I have found myself a part of their stories too.

I am married to Lyn, a CPA too, who once was a working mother but chose to be a homemaker at a time that she had a promising senior manager career in a large multinational company. We have four young children then who needed to be cared for by their mother so she decided to stay home, managed our household and became a full time homemaker. This is her story and my story too as her husband.

Reconciling the two epigraphs above, I can now answer the question, “What am I to do?” or more accurately, “What have I done, knowing what story or stories did I find myself a part?”

Guided by the wisdom in C.S. Lewis’ argument that the homemaker is the ultimate career because all other careers exist solely to support that career, I pursued a career in public accounting, wholeheartedly supporting my Cpawife’s career as a homemaker and I have never been happier in my life.

This month when we celebrate “Mother’s Day”, I honor and remember my Nanay Elay in heaven. Let me also give a “shout out” to my wife, Lyn, and all working mothers and homemakers out there and greet them “Happy Mother’s Day”. Let’s make them happy by supporting them not only this whole month of May but every day. They deserve it!