Miriam G. Storey
Mom to Emilie, age 38, Alyson, age 36,
Jacob, age 34, Sara, age 30, Spencer,
age 29, and 13 grandchildren
Manassas, VA
So her daughter could pursue a
graduate degree, Miriam came out
of retirement to become a nanny
to four of her 13 grandchildren.

She loves being involved in
her grandchildren’s lives and
understands that both the role of
mother and grandmother involves
many hats.

Occupation Semi-retired; Currently being a
“granny nanny” to four of my beautiful
grandchildren What advice would you give to new
or expectant moms?
There are two things you give your
children: One is roots, the other is
wings. Instill a love of God and for all
mankind in their hearts and respect in
their actions. Teach children to work
hard and take pride in their work. Be
a good citizen. Don’t be afraid to put
away the electronics, disconnect, hug
and have fun.

How has motherhood changed your
outlook on life?
At a young age, I decided that I
wanted to be a mother. I viewed my
purpose as a mother higher than any
other position I could attain through
education. I suppose I was pretty naïve
at that time, but after a year of college I
became a mother and started my career
of raising children. As I raised five
children, I realized that teaching them,
reading with them, doing homework
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with them and supporting them in
their academics and activities, was
educating me in as many ways that
working in an occupation would have.

As a mother you become a counselor,
a teacher, a mentor, a chef, a coach,
a chauffer and driving instructor, a
doctor’s assistant, a dental assistant, a
librarian, an author, a mediator, a judge,
an accountant, a stylist and fashion
consultant, and other talents that moms
use daily in raising a family. I never
dreamed how much fulfillment I would
receive in life through my children and
the life lessons learned. For good or
bad, difficult or pleasant, my outlook
on life has been enhanced through
motherhood. How do you think your child(ren)
would describe you?
I think my children would describe
me as dedicated to family, fiercely loyal,
loving unconditionally, hardworking,
true to my faith, charitable, selfless,
intuitive, head strong and opinionated.

They would say that I taught them the
importance of leaving people/things/
places/situations better than how they
were found. I also hope that they would
say through life’s experiences, I’ve
learned how to love deeper, accept
changes and try to keep my opinions
more to myself!
What goals do you have for yourself?
One of my goals was to be able to
“grow-up” with my grandchildren. By
that I mean that I wanted to have my
children while I was young so that I
would still be relatively “young” enough
to be able to physically keep up with
my grandchildren and enjoy being
active with them. I wanted to be able
to wrestle, ride bikes, hike, run, swim,
jump on trampolines, jump rope, ride
our horses, play tennis or any other
activities they want to do.




Vicki Sweet
Mom to Peyton, age 8
and Olivia, age 6
Woodbridge VA
Military mothers are their own
special breed—they’re committed,
fierce, loyal and understanding.

Vicki fits that mold. As a military
mom, she’s present in the lives
of her daughters and has learned
how to appreciate the moments in
everyday life.

Occupation: Executive assistant for Brightline
Interactive, and small-business owner
of Vicki Sweet’s Vinyl.

What’s the best parenting advice
you’ve ever received?
It sounds totally cliché, but just
to remember to stop and enjoy your
children for the amazing tiny humans
they are. Take time when they are small
to get to know them as individuals,
so you can help nurture them and
encourage them to grow into an adult,
true to their inner self.

What advice would you give to new or
expectant moms?
I would tell new moms to humble
themselves and lower any expectations
they have put on themselves and on
others, for that matter. Mom-ing is
HARD and in today’s society there is so
much pressure to be a certain way or
do a certain thing. Do what you feel is in
the best interest of your family and try
to eliminate people from your life that
bring negativity. And ask for help. Don’t
be too proud or stubborn to go through
this parenting journey alone.

How has motherhood changed your
outlook on life?
Motherhood has definitely put much
of my life in perspective. It has helped
me to focus on what truly matters and
has also forced me to slow down and
appreciate the precious moments of
everyday life.

What goals do you have for yourself?
If you had asked me this ten years
ago, I would have listed out a well-
articulated five-, 10- and 20-year plan.

At this point in life, a mother is not
often asked this question—typically,
the focus is solely on our children! And
having children has certainly changed
my perspective and my priorities in life.

When I paused to think about how to
answer this, the first thing that came to
mind is how I hope to be able to glorify
God in all that I do on this Earth. I know
that seems broad, but I believe we
were put here for a purpose. By living
a worthy, intentional life and building
His kingdom through the relationships
and interactions we have with others,
I expect the rest of my ambitions and
goals to fall into place if they are meant
to be.

What would you say your secret
is to balancing life/family/work/
motherhood? I had to laugh a little when I read this
question. I wish I could say that I had a
secret to making it all work flawlessly,
but let’s be real—does anyone really?
It’s all about prioritizing and knowing
what will matter at the end of the day
and what won’t. There are some days
that life doesn’t cooperate and it’s okay
to just accept that and move on, ready
to face tomorrow!
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