Brittany Burns: Spectacular Wife and Mother
Brittany Burns is a mother, wife, and someone who loves people.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8th every year. It is an important day for women’s rights. On February 28, 1909, the Socialist Party of America organized a Women’s Day in New York City. In 1910 at the International Socialist Woman’s Conference, German delegates Paula Thiede, Kate Duncker, and Clara Zetkin suggested a ‘special Women’s Day’ be organized. In 1917, women gained suffrage in Russia and March 8 became a national holiday. Women’s Day was celebrated only in communist and socialist countries. In 1967, the feminist movement adopted it. In 1977, the United Nations began celebrating it.
Four Columns is all about inspiring and empowering women to live a balanced life. To celebrate Women’s Day, I am interviewing various women, from different backgrounds. Brittany Burns talks about life as a mother.
Brittany Burns, it is an honor for me to have you answer questions on my blog. Tell my audience something important about you?
Hi Jerry. Thanks for having me on your blog. Hmm, something important about me… Well, the most important thing is that I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. I’m also a wife and mother of 2 incredible kids.
I call your family Kennedy’s. Rich, powerful, good-looking, the men are tall, not dark, but that is OK. Talk to me about growing up as Brittany Burns with the Burns?
Ha-ha. I literally had the best childhood. Growing up in my family, I was truly “#blessed”. I’m the oldest of my siblings and kind of paved the way for my brother and sister. My parents were and are incredible parents. Over my 31 years on this earth, they have modeled such an amazing marriage. I would say the success of that is because of how they both individually and together, put God first. Sure, they’re not perfect. But they were real. They showed us how to lean on the Lord during both life’s struggles and life’s successes. I would also say the reason that we are all so close and remain tight-knit as a family is because of the unconditional love they showed us. Growing up, I knew that no matter what I did, they would always love me and nothing could ever change that. My home was always a place of safety, love, and comfort. I remember coming home from high-school after having had a rough day, and as soon I walked in the door, I felt as though the weight of the world was taken off my shoulders. I had truly had a great childhood.
Talk to me about what you have learned from your mom, dad, brother, and sister. Also, name an instance you had a massive disagreement with them and it all worked out?
I have learned so much from each one of them.
From my mom, I learned what love really looks like. Like I mentioned earlier, both my parents loved us unconditionally. This is something I’ve brought into my own marriage and family with my kids. Knowing how to love your kids, on purpose. I know that sounds so obvious, but it’s more than the obvious. It’s on such a deeper level. It’s this stirring within your soul, knowing each of your children so well, who God created them to be. Knowing exactly when something isn’t right or is “off”, and just being there to offer a warm hug, smile, or simply your presence.
From my dad, I learned how to work hard. I like to think I have a very strong work ethic, and I owe it to him. He’s one of the hardest working people I know. I watched him provide for our family for many years through hard work, discipline, and perseverance. He worked in the corporate business world for many years commuting downtown from the rural outskirts of the GTA. If you live in Toronto, you know that’s not always easy. On top of that, he would wake up super early in the morning to fit in a workout, to maintain his health. He also taught me how to play soccer and coached my teams. He taught me to always do your best and to finish well. That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. But to be the best you can be. I have never quit anything I’ve ever started because of him.
From my brother, I learned about justice. He is someone with a genuine concern for justice and fair treatment. He is naturally shy and some may think quiet. But if you really know him, you would know how bold and courageous he can be about speaking up about things important to him concerning just behavior.
From my sister, I learned how to be more aware of caring for others. She is a registered nurse at a private hospital. It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse, and she is beyond special. She has such a heart for those in need – whether it be spiritual care, physical care, or emotional care.
In terms of when we had a massive disagreement, I honestly can’t think of one. Yes, we had disagreements growing up, often. But we were raised to communicate and express how you were feeling. That may not always have been done in the kindest way all the time. But we learned to problem solve and navigate social situations effectively.
Walk with me and explain your career path and how you realized the corporate world was not for you?
As I was attending York University, I was working at a summer placement job downtown. This led to an opportunity to continue part-time while completing my thesis during my last year of University. The company hired me full-time upon graduation. I have my Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, not exactly an area of business expertise. The job paid extremely well, offered a great benefits/pension package – the works. I learned the roles and responsibilities of the job, worked hard, and performed well. I quickly learned this was not something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. I informed my employer that I would finish out my contract, but that I would not be returning upon its completion. I saw my coworkers who were unhappy, exhausted, and “stuck” in a job they didn’t like. They were dependent on that paycheque – mortgage, kids, car payments. They couldn’t leave. I didn’t want the same future. I saw it as a decision between money, or my happiness and future. I felt the Lord so deeply prompting me to trust in Him, that he would provide for me what He knew I needed and would fit me so well. I was unemployed for about 4 months and even saw a Life Coach. I wanted someone with some outside perspective to help me navigate “what’s next”. I ended up getting a part-time job with my current employer as an educator. Doors and opportunities continued to be opened to me. I knew God was making good on His promise. Long story short, I love my job. I get to teach and support children and families from all walks of life. My job has allowed me to work full time and part-time, based on the needs of my family. I’ve had 2 maternity leaves’ and re-integrated into the workplace twice, with such ease because of the great job I have. First and foremost, I’m a wife and mother. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to continue to put my family first and work part-time.
How has marriage changed your life?
I really had to think about this one. I’ve been married for 8 years, but together with my husband for 16. Marriage is an adventure. I would say marriage is simply going through the ups and downs of life with my partner in crime. Cherish and enjoy the good, easy times. Grow, struggle together, and learn from the difficult times. My husband and I are so different in many ways, but we also share some similarities. We have learned to communicate well with one another (most of the time ha-ha), and once we have established what each other’s expectations are, with God at the center, there’s no stopping us. I saw a quote about marriage posted on Pinterest the other day that made me laugh and I would say it’s totally accurate: “90 percent of being married is just yelling ‘What?’ from other rooms.”
How has motherhood made you look at life differently?
Motherhood has made me appreciate and cherish the small things. I love my kids fiercely. I love who God created them to be. I am trying to be more cognizant of being in the “now”. I feel like I blinked, and my firstborn is now 5. Even though there are times when it is difficult to be a parent, it is so important to be reminded of just how quickly these years pass. I remember when I was first pregnant, and people would say to me, “It goes by so fast.” And it’s so true, it really does.
Give some advice to yourself when you were 14 and 24?
14-year-old me – Learn to let things go, and know that God is ultimately in control.
24-year-old me – I had just gotten married and was soon to have a baby on the way – so I would say take advantage of SLEEP and “me time”.
Rapid Fire
Favorite movie – Beauty and the Beast
Favorite actor – Charlize Theron
Favorite restaurant – State and Main
Someone famous you want to have a meal with – Bear Grylls
If you were chosen to go to Mars and were allowed only 4 things what would it be – My family, my Bible, my phone, my duvet.
Talk to me about food, finance, family and faith and how do you balance it all?
Well, this is an all-encompassing question lol. I’ll do my best to break it down for you.
Let’s start with faith, as it’s the center of it all. Without my faith, everything else would crumble. Putting God first is essential to the rest of my life functioning as it does. I make an effort to spend time each day with the Lord and surrender my own expectations and plans. I truly rely on God’s unique plan for each aspect of my life. Sometimes there’s a way I think things should go, but God decides otherwise. I’ve learned to be obedient and He has transformed my heart to desire the things He wants for me.
With regard to finance, I’ll basically bring it back to faith. Yes, we have to be practical and work to provide an income. However, God has truly blessed us in how he has allowed both my husband and I to work and provide an income in our own niche environments unique to each of us. Work environments that we both actually like, and are skilled at.
Food. Cooking is not my forte. However, I do like to eat. I haven’t always had the healthiest diet. But, after I got married and had kids, health became a huge factor in my life. I wanted to provide food that was healthy and good for their growing little bodies. I won’t get into the crunchy, organic (sometimes annoying) details. But I do make an effort, where budget allows, to purchase organic produce. My kids eat well, for the most part. They have very different palates and can be picky when it comes to vegetables. I’ve gotten really good at hiding fruits and veggies into food that most of the time goes undetected. Basically, I’m happy if everybody has gotten a decent amount of fruits and veggies into them by the end of the day.
Family is everything. As I’ve talked about, there is a love within our family that runs deep. I love everything about my sweet little family of 4. Things aren’t always easy, and we aren’t perfect, but I wouldn’t change a thing. There are so much joy and happiness, laughter, and adventure.
