As I was growing up, my mom often worked 12- to 14-hour days — born as she was in an era in which hard work for long periods demonstrated devotion and a strong character. As an adult, she followed in the path of her parents and their parents, and so on. My sister and I watched her wake up every morning at 5:00 a.m., leave the house at 6:00 for work and not make it home until around 7:00 p.m. most of the time, which meant we were latchkey kids for most of our childhood.
