The Intersection of Working-Married-Motherhood

Presented in a surprise new (to me) writing style!

Welcome to DPP, a weekly newsletter about the real-life trials and tribulations of pleasing, and how I leverage emotional intelligence for proper recovery. Recently, I have started to focus on creative self-expression in the form of non-fiction as a means to practice self-compassion. I hope to connect with you at a deeper level, and evolve together, from there. Letters land on Tuesdays and sometimes surprise days, please consider me a first-class seat with your inbox?

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Hi dear reader,

Today’s letter will be different (again), in that the format will be presented as an abecedarium. This kind of writing can be found in songs from the 1920s, but dates back to the eighth century with Icelandic Rune poems.

The structure looks like this:
A: You’re Adorable

B: You’re so Beautiful

C: You’re a Cutie and so Charming

Basically, we are reciting the A-B-C’s but fluffing them up with prose. Inspired by Dinty Moore’s encyclopedia-like take on fatherhood via asbcedarium, today I attempt to explore the trifecta intersection of Working-Married-Motherhood with each line following the letters of the alphabet.

I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!

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A: Alignment

The quiet art of living in step with your values. Whether holding a partner’s hand, a child’s heart, or the company’s mission, so that what you give reflects who you are.

B: Breathing

Sometimes conscious, mostly not- the life force that drives us through each day. We do this together, across all fronts. Mid-meltdown, we remember to “blow out the candles” as I hold up my fingers, for tiny breaths to be folded down with each four-year-old exhale.

C: Compromise

The tender balancing act of giving a little to gain a lot, whether closing a deal, calming a tantrum, or softening your stance so love can breathe.

D: Double Standard

It’s being expected to lead like a man, nurture like a mother, and support like a wife- often all at once, and without complaint.

E: Evolution

When people constantly becoming, changing, and adapting, at work- and at home, choose each other again and again.

F: Failure

The haunting sense that you’ve let someone down: your team, your child, your partner. When in truth, you are still learning and need to cut yourself a break, just as you would for them.

G: Generational Healing

The pain may not have started with us, or our parents, or our parents-parents. It does end here, though. We break the chain in how we decide to treat each other and ourselves.

I: In-Laws

Sometimes a blessing. Sometimes a burden. Always a bonus family.

J: Joy

The spontaneous delight, awe, and love that is best delivered in the shared moments of ordinary everyday life.

K: Keep

What we savor. Photos, secrets, promises, finger-paint projects, and memories.

L: Listen

Sometimes to problem solve. Sometimes to respond. Sometimes to understand. Always to show we care- even if that’s all we can do.

M: Meetings

Where time often goes to die- or where ideas are born, if run well. Comes in many forms. Virtual, conference style, out on the town, and in person. Dates, play dates, time-outs, and FaceTime, all count.

N: Negotiation

Whether about salary, bedtime, or boundaries, it’s a key survival and growth skill.

O: Ownership

Often the catalyst for teaching how to make a mistake and admit it. If we don’t, they won’t.

P: Partnership

Shared life, shared load, hopefully shared dreams; sometimes in sync, sometimes out of it. Always a team.

Q: Quirks

The things that make us lovable (or tolerable) to them, and them, to us.

S: Story Time

The sacred act of shaping meaning. Could look like: Pitching a vision to the team, conjuring magic at bedtime, or unpacking the day’s weight with the one who knows your heart.
It’s how we make sense of the chaos and remind each other what still matters.

T: Trust

The quiet foundation beneath every risk we take: handing off a task, letting go of the crib rail, or believing Love won’t walk away. Hard to build, easy to break.

U: Unseen

The labor done in silence. The late-night emails, the lunches left uneaten, the feelings swallowed so others feel safe.
It’s the cost of care without applause, and the hope that legacy will notice what the moment overlooks.

V: Vulnerability

It’s not weakness, but strength that it takes to show up without the armor. In action: Sharing an unfinished idea in a meeting, admitting you don’t have all the answers as a mother, or saying what you really feel to the person you love.

W: Work-Life Balance

It’s less about balance and more about strategic chaos with a smile. The myth you whisper to yourself while juggling virtual calls, reheating coffee for the third time, and pretending you didn’t forget it was picture day. We picked that shirt on purpose, of course!

X: X-Ray Vision

It’s the gift (and curse) of noticing everything, especially what no one says out loud. It’s spotting the unspoken need in a partner’s sigh, the meltdown brewing behind a child’s whine, or the tension in a colleague’s smile.

Y: Yearning

The continued longing for connection, identity, recognition, or sometimes, just rest.

Z: Zen

The peace that comes with being accepted exactly as we are. Flaws, farts, fears, and feels.

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Thanks for reading my abecedarium! If you’re a fellow writer, I’d love to see your take on this style- I’ve only read one other version of this format by Moore, but I find the flow easy to follow and heavy hitting with truth. What are two or three aspects of your life that you could use to create your own A-B-C essay? Let me know if you give it a try. ☺️

May we experience A very Brilliant week of Creativity ahead (see what I did there?),

xX kaylen alexandra Xx