My objection to adverbs

I was listening to a sermon on my iPod the other morning and as I listened to the speaker closely I began to take objection to his use of the word 'just' or 'only' directly before the word 'Mum'. For example: "Whether you are an accountant, a lawyer, a truck driver, or just a Mum." Whilst I know that the speaker didn't mean anything by this remark (and he is not the only one who does it), the inference is that accountants, lawyers and trucks drivers have actual or important jobs/professions, then there are Mums.

If you look up only in the dictionary the first explanation given for its use as an adverb is this: as a single fact or instance and nothing more or different. So in theory the use of only before Mum would mean that I am a Mum; nothing more or different.

As I move into a different phase of life, one where I may not return to work and therefore be just a Mum, I would like to think that Mums are valued for the important work that they do creating, delivering and raising children.

I don't doubt that Mums are appreciated, but maybe we should think about the language that we use to describe them and make sure it is to build them up and make them equal, not make them sound like a lesser part of society.

You might say I'm playing with semantics but words are powerful things. I should know, I use lots of them everyday!