They were the first words out of my mouth as I met a friend for lunch last week:

"Sorry I'm late... I can barely keep up with the pace of my life," I said. 

It wasn't a complaint... it was more of a statement of the reality faced by more and more working women these days:  The challenge of balancing one's personal and professional life.

A new report reveals that for the first time in our nation's history, just about half of U.S. workers are women.  And nearly 4 in 10 of those women are the primary breadwinners in their family.

It's a subject journalist Maria Shriver examines in the "Shriver Report", a study of the changing nature of women’s roles in society.

It's an interesting read:  http://www.awomansnation.com/.

Nearly all of my close girlfriends work for a living.  My best friend and I both work in the media.  And as we raise our families and forge ahead in our demanding careers,  you can't help but wonder if there is a better way to "do it all."

Should more U.S. institutions... like schools... try to cater special events around the workday?  And should employers make more of an effort to give working mothers more flex time when a child is sick... or if Mom is trying to make a special event at school?

I recently had a great experience with one of my managers.  He rearranged my schedule one day, so I could make a special event at my daughter's school.  I was so grateful... and it certainly boosted my morale and loyalty to my workplace.

 There will always be the chorus of voices who say, "They won't be the same if you're not at home."  or  "You'll never be a good employee if you're distracted by children."

That's bogus.

Because more and more... it is a woman's world.   And sensibilites seem to be finally changing, with the goal of helping working mothers really and truly have it all.