JAileen's commented about her mother and father after being triggered by a conversation about "girl math", a term which many found insulting. Her remarks were poignant, and describe what an unfair society her mother lived in, she said....

"My mother who I mentioned above, was a math major in college. She became a statistician for a fortune 500 company. She worked while my father was in grad school, supporting them both. She was paid less than the men, solely because she was a woman. When she became pregnant, she was fired because they said it was improper for pregnant women to be working. My father did not yet have a job. I think it was worse for a pregnant woman to starve. If it sounds like I'm taking it personally, I'm not. I'm just sticking up for my mother."

I am impressed by this and want to honor JAileens mother and add my mother to the pool.

My mother grew up in a very poor household. She lived with her grandparents who were immigrants and didn't speak English, and my grandmother who had an 8th grade education. Her father died of Multiple Sclerosis when she was 9. She had Polio when she was 6, and spent a full year in the hospital. My mother was very smart and somehow managed to skip a grade. Her uncle paid for her to go to college and she became a pharmacist. She was one of three women in her class. She worked for years in a hospital pharmacy. At the time it was a male dominated field. She was definitely paid less than the men she worked with and passed over for supervisory positions as well. She divorced my father when I was 10, but she went on at that time and earned a masters degree in pharmacy. My mother worked full time and supported my brother and I as a single parent. Somehow she managed to get everything done. My mom continued to take some classes at the local college. She studied Spanish. She took photography classes. Then after my brother and I finished our education, when she was 63, my mom completed a Pharm. D. She wanted the degree, not because she needed it but because it was the degree that all the more recent graduates had. She continued working in hospital pharmacy up until this year when she retired. She's 77. No girl math for her either. My mom's motto is that you can accomplish anything you want if you try. She truly believes this. She is handicapped from her Polio, and she doesn't let anything get in her way.