I've come to believe that nothing truly prepares you for motherhood. We had the books, the support from our families, a fantastic doctor and a beautiful nursery. What I wasn't ready for was how I would feel once things settled down.

It's not surprising that we see the world in black-and-white; we are highly rewarded for doing so at work and it allows us to meet our goals. But that's not the skill needed for handling the tug of war between a career and motherhood.

Now that my daughter is a toddler, and now that my job has become more demanding, let the guilt begin.

Why do we lie to each other? And where do the expectations that perpetuate these lies come from? Mothers today do have more choices, but they also face expectations that would make June Cleaver give up and drink.

It isn't your mother's Mother's Day any more. There's a new and lively conversation underway about what it takes to maximize mothers' contributions, both to the economy and to their families.