Not Sacrifice, but Fulfillment: To Every Working Mother Who Writes Life with Love - Thoughts after reading Qiu Meizhen's "Things Working Mothers Learn"
When I saw this book, the author immediately came to mind. Although I am not a mother myself, the content of this book is quite attractive to me. I always feel that this book is a profound dialogue written by the author to himself and to all readers at the crossroads of life. To me, Meizhen is not only a respected senior and close friend in the workplace, but also a life practitioner who continues to experience and bloom in multiple roles.
“[Things Working Moms Learn](https://www.books.com.tw/exep/assp.php/vista/products/0011021377?utm_source=vista&utm_medium=ap-books&utm_c content=recommend&utm_campaign=ap-202507)” This book is not just a review and summary of a mother, but more like a delicate and firm life note. The journey of intertwined motherhood, upbringing and self-realization is written and precipitated one by one, and finally presented as a sincere letter to readers.
From the editing desk to the desk: the seamless transition between motherhood and professionalism
The author of this book is a former colleague of mine. Over the years, I have witnessed Meizhen’s transformation from the peak of editor-in-chief of “Manager’s Monthly” to becoming a full-time caregiver of her children, and then returning to the workplace. This journey along the way is not one of concession or sacrifice, but a higher level of integration and transformation. She used her actions to prove to us that “leaving the workplace” is not a betrayal of dreams, but an embrace of life in different forms.
When she chose to return to her family, it was not an impulse, but a carefully considered decision. It was a shift in thinking from “Can I have more?” to “Who do I want to be?” She made me understand that the value of life should not only be measured by job title and income, but by whether you sincerely invest and respond in every relationship. In those years, she may no longer be the luminary shining in front of the stage, but the guardian of light who silently lays out the rhythm of family life.
Such choice and persistence are particularly valuable in today’s society that emphasizes efficiency, productivity and speed. While many people define a person’s social value by presence or absence, Meizhen completed another level of entry during her time away from the workplace - entering the core of a child’s life, entering the depths of the family, and entering a broader self.
Top 10 parenting aids: In addition to companionship, there are also questions and boundaries
Although I am still single, I am very concerned about issues such as parenting and parenting. Therefore, I have read countless parenting books and parenting guides. The reason why Meizhen’s “Ten Helpers” particularly touched me is because it is not a set of theoretical puzzles, but a book of wisdom refined by her repeated practice and constant revision in real life. Each chapter is not a command sentence, but an invitation sentence, inviting us to rethink: What is the true meaning of living with children? What is the true value of the role of parent?
Having said that, the so-called companionship does not mean being with you at all times, but letting your children know: I will be there when you need it. The existence of allies is not to replace teachers or elders, but to give children a safe base where they can express themselves safely when they are troubled. Boundaries are not to control, but to remind each other: the distance of love should not be spent, but to jointly protect the space of freedom and respect.
I was pleasantly surprised that she devoted an entire chapter to asking questions. As a lecturer in AI writing and application teaching, I often tell students: the core of the world is not in answers, but in questions. Meizhen also attaches great importance to this point. She emphasizes how to start a deep dialogue with children through conscious questioning and guide them to develop the ability to think, criticize and create as they grow up. And this kind of training, to put it bluntly, is also a kind of psychological preparation for facing the uncertainty of the future world.
Her top ten parenting tips are not to make you a good parent, but to make you an adult that children want to imitate. The depth of this kind of education is not only the care of children, but also the perfection of oneself.
Returning from family to work: the glorious moment of mid-life restart
Every parent who has ever left the workplace has at one time or another faced an emotional weightlessness called “empty nest anxiety” (https://vidamore.tw/empty-nest-syndrome/). The children are gradually becoming independent and autonomous, but you find after your daily work that you don’t know how to tell your own story except for your children. This is a pain point for many middle-aged people, and it is also an unspeakable loneliness.
But unlike other parents, Meizhen did not let this emptiness turn into an iron cage trapping herself. She chose to act, to study again, and to stand on the podium and editing platform that were both familiar and unfamiliar to her. The book mentions that during her return to the workplace, there were moments of apprehension, uneasiness, and moments of incomprehension. But she did not turn these into complaints, but as she said in her book: “Every life is a training ground.”
Her return to the workplace is not to prove that she is okay, but to complete a life training of continuous learning and choice. I see a very touching quality in it - the ability to continue to cultivate oneself to bloom again in seemingly ordinary years. She used her personal experience to tell us: restarting is not a privilege for young people, but a common language for all people who face life bravely.
Motherhood is not about giving up, it’s about upgrading
I know many outstanding female friends, so I know very well that women of our generation have more complex expectations than the previous generation - they must not only be good mothers at home, but also hold up in the workplace. This kind of pressure not only comes from the outside world, but also comes from the pursuit of achievement deep inside. Therefore, once many women become mothers, they seem to have to compress, dilute, or even eliminate their original self.
But Meizhen reminds us in the book: motherhood is not a separation of roles, but an upgrade of the quality of life. It’s not about giving up on your dreams, it’s about redefining what your dreams look like. She uses the concept of “B&B mom” as a metaphor: Home is not a five-star hotel, and parents are not round-the-clock waiters, but living space operators with style, warmth, bottom line and white space.
I strongly agree with this view. In my courses and consultations, I often emphasize that family is an emotional community, not a battlefield for management. In a child’s life, the most important role we should play is not a hands-on supervisor, but a warm and forward-thinking companion; not a harshly grading manager, but a conversationalist.
In other words, motherhood should not be synonymous with retirement from the workplace, but another re-creation of comprehensive experience, emotion and wisdom. I feel that Meizhen’s book comes at the right time and is the most sincere and concrete proof of this evolutionary theory of motherhood.
The meaning of reading this book: for yourself and for the future masters
After reading “Things Working Moms Learn”, I had a wonderful feeling: as if I had been talking to an old friend for a long night, laughing with tears and thinking a lot. This is not only a book about mothers, but also a reference book about the integration of life roles.
I would recommend this book to three types of people - mothers who have doubts about life, fathers who feel pressured by upbringing, and young people who are hesitant about their future careers. It does not give standard answers, but it will help you find the courage to ask questions; it does not tell you how to do it perfectly, but it will accompany you on a journey of finding meaning.
In this fast era where everything is about speed, we are too easily pushed by data, efficiency and results orientation. But life is never a KPI competition, but a process of choosing and letting go. Through Meizhen’s words, I once again confirmed that: the most powerful choices often come from the softest persistence; and the most valuable companionship is often hidden in the most ordinary daily life.
Thank you, Meizhen, for writing this book not only for the new generation, but also for lighting a lamp for us adults who are still on the road. When you read the entire book and close the page, you will suddenly realize that the process of becoming a better person can be so moving.
At a certain stage of your life, if you have the opportunity to take good care of others, your life will also receive extraordinary nourishment. ──────Qiu Meizhen
Further reading
- Grow influence in relationships: Learn the secret of building loyal fans from “Reader” Zheng Junde
- I read “Key Thinking Power”: Learn to think cleanly, and life will naturally become simpler
- I watched “DEALS Trading Power”: Understand the underlying logic of the business world and learn to use economic thinking to design a winner’s trading structure
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