Mothers: The Real Life Super Women
This weekend we celebrate the super heroes amongst us… Mothers.
We chatted with RGI’s principal Rachael Glaws to talk about her kids, her ‘fourth baby’ RGI, what it takes to be a Boss Lady AND a mother, and the super women in her own life.
With three little ones, Rachael is most certainly a Super Woman herself. She lovingly describes each child with their own set of unique characteristics – Anastasia ‘Stassi’ (5) is the independent, rule follower, with an incredibly fun imagination, Asher (2 ½) is smart and in turn breaks all the rules Stassi keeps, and Vivian (16mo) is a bit of a ‘lazy baby”, “she’s smart enough to know that if someone else will do it for her, she doesn’t have to”.
How will you be celebrating/ celebrated this weekend?
Usually we will go to the Eastern Shore where my mom now lives. We do the whole big crab thing as the unofficial start of the crab season. This year will be very low key and definitely involve brunch.
Favorite thing on the brunch table?
Champagne!
Being a mother is a full time job on its own. How do you balance motherhood AND being a boss lady - running your own business?
There are a surprising amount of similarities in the journey of building a business to being a mom. In a lot of ways, I felt like I had a kid before I had my children. Luckily my kids are super independent and go with the flow; they are always adapting. I remember in our first office, Stassi would come with me every day. I would go on site visits pushing her along in the stroller.
Being a mother and running a successful business both take a great deal of organization and prioritization.
Did your mother work as well?
I was incredibly lucky to have a great model growing up. My mom was and still is a flight attendant of 49 years. I was 1 of 7 children and my Dad was a fantastic Mr. Mom. It takes a lot of people to be able to do everything.
Was planning something you learned from them or just something that came naturally to you?
I’ve always been a planner, definitely. But both my grandmothers and mom are hostesses. That hospitality in gathering was built into me.
Favorite Memory?
High Tea with my Grandmother. She had this amazing silver tea set. Even if it was just her and I, she would set a full blown high tea. The best silver, best linens, everything. She modeled true hospitality and style that was completely ingrained in me. She taught me an appreciation of simple luxury in everyday life.
What do you hope your kids learn from you?
If you are willing to work very hard, to take ownership that will let you be truly excited for you successes and educated by your failures, you can have whatever you want out of this world. You have to be willing to do those things to get it. If you are committed, even when it is really difficult, there is no limit.
We asked our team what they’ve learned about hosting from their mothers and grandmothers
”My mum tells me to keep it simple to have time to spend with guests, which is funny to me because her dinner parties and even having people over for drinks have always been elaborate and impeccably done” -MD
“My nana would always be up late the night before [Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve] preparing everything for the holiday meal. She would do that so on the day of the party she was able to enjoy her guests and entertain without being stuck in the kitchen the whole time” - CM
“My mom, my grandma, and my aunts all like to come together early morning before an event to prepare all the different dishes to serve for the parties. A lot of the traditional recipes were passed down from my grandma and I’ve learned some of them through my mom. She taught me easy tricks to cooking things faster or in bigger batches since we always set up 2-3 long tables full of large trays of different foods.”- MP
“Any occasion can be an excuse to throw a party!” - MW
“Whether it’s an elaborate event or just a weeknight meal, it’s the people sitting around the table that truly make the moment special.”- CH
And of course we wouldn’t leave you without sharing some great ways to make Mother’s Day special from home.
Tip #1: There is no substitution for personal flourishes
Mother’s Day is an occasion that lends perfectly to things that are created from the heart. The homegrown, hand drawn, hand crafted, and homemade often are filled with the most love.
Tip #2: Embrace the Season
It’s Springtime! Head outside and forage some backyard floral for a beautiful rustic bouquet.
Tip #3: Break out the Best!
Balance that homemade meal with your finest. Rustic and Luxury. Break out the special linen, beautiful glassware, and dust off the china. Today is a day worth celebrating.
So pop open the bubbly, smell the flowers, embrace a touch of luxury and hug, call, Facetime, or Zoom your mother. They deserve it all today.
Happy Mother’s Day.
