10 Questions: CSI Miami's Eva La Rue
Emmy award-winning actress Eva La Rue knows a thing or two about balancing family and career: a single mom to 5-year old Kaya, she juggles a leading role on CSI: Miami, a recurring role on The George Lopez Show, co-hosting duties for the Style Network's Modern Girl's Guide to Life, is a correspondent for Extra and is a spokesperson for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Phew!
Somehow, Eva even found time to share her views on modern motherhood, divorce and how she manages to fit in time for herself.
Lolita: What's your definition of a Modern Mom?
Eva: A modern mom is a multitasker extraordinaire who is
constantly exhausted and trying to keep a happy face. Most moms
feel guilty that they aren't doing a good enough job, even though
they're probably doing a better job than they think. Being a mom,
we all feel a deficit because as a woman the role takes so many
forms.
Lolita: What's your secret to balancing career and family?
Eva: I think I would sound remiss saying that I had a secret. The first mom that comes up with a secret to balance work and family could be the richest woman in the world! Some days you can balance both and other days you can't, so you just pick up and try again. These days there are so many women leaving high-powered jobs because they feel like they can't do it all. And I think we can do it all, but at a cost. Everyone finds a balance in their own way. So basically, I don't have the answer.
Lolita: What did your parents teach you about parenting?
Eva: My mom was a single mom raising me and sister. Her forte was finding out what we did best and supporting us every step of the way. She went out of her way to let us take lessons in things we were really passionate about, like dancing and horseback riding. She was very encouraging in whatever we wanted to do, and she would break her back to make sure we had those opportunities.
Lolita: What do you want to teach your daughter, Kaya?
Eva: I'm trying to do the same thing my mom did for my sister and me. I want to find out what my daughter likes and what she's good at and support her. It's important to find a balance between pushing her and letting her go at her own pace. Lucky for me, Kaya likes horseback riding which is what I love, too! I also want to instill in her something else my mom taught me: the sky is the limit and never let anyone tell you that you can't do something.
Lolita: What's your favorite family activity?
Eva: We love to go the beach to BBQ and hang out with family. If we're not on the beach then everyone is at my house at the pool. My place is known as the party backyard.
Lolita: Who do you admire most?
Eva: My mom. Now that I have a daughter, my appreciation for my mom has grown a thousand fold. I now realize everything she gave up and everything she felt when raising me, and all the emotions make sense. I really wonder how she did it alone with two kids and sometimes two jobs, yet she always managed to be there for us.
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