Elayne Potter Pearson, Richfield, won second prize in a national Mother of the Year contest. More than 3,000 women submitted essays to the Kudos Brand Working Mother of the Year Awards program.
The first-prize winner, Ruth Barshaw, Lansing, Mich., received $35,000. For her second-place finish, Pearson won a four-day stay at a spa in the Pocono Mountains. Entries were judged on the basis of practical tips and originality.Pearson and her husband, Rod, are the parents of four daughters. Pearson's entry, a 21-stanza poem, begins like this:
I'm glancing through my magazine,
And something caught my eye . . .
A "working mother's" contest!
At once, I thought I'd try!
"But I'm at home," the thought rang out,
"I'm not a working mom."
"Oh, yes you are!" my conscience said,
"You work hard in your home!"
If I could tell you what I do
To help my home run smooth . . .
Then I would start within the heart -
That's where your love, you prove.