N.O.W. -- WATCH OUT! I MIGHT JUST BURN MY BRA!
I've been processing this for a long time now, and, at the risk of alienating a bunch of loyal fans (all 8 of you), I feel I must write this. If for no other reason than we are coming upon Mother's Day Weekend, and I am eternally grateful and very blessed for the mother I have in my life ... and the many stand-in mothers in my history that have always been willing to take over the "mom thing" where my mom leaves off.
Lately, I've noticed a trend ... whiny women. I'm not making a blanket statement or anything. I've just noticed a growing faction (albeit small) of women whining that about they fact that they've got it all, and they don't know how to deal with the responsibility. Witnessing this phenomenon has caused me to become increasingly resentful, and last night, finally, I unloaded on my mom, a forward-thinking woman before her time.
My mom's response? "You know, I had time constraints -- a load of responsibilities too overwhelming to comprehend -- when I was raising my kids, we all did. But we did it, because that was our responsibility as mothers and women. I don't think these younger girls understand that."
You know what, I think she might be right.
I feel a huge debt of gratitude, and a huge amount of responsibility to the throngs of women that came before me and blazed the trail so that I could enjoy the spoils of working as a woman and, to a certain extent, working as an equal in today's work force. I wouldn't for one minute pull A CARD that's being used today (you know, like, "I'm PMSing, so I just don't feel like doing it ...) because I feel like I owe the women before me, including my mother, who couldn't dare think of those cards, let alone use them. I want to build on their legacies not tear that legacy down.
In other words, GIRL POWER.
I want my female students ... my very own little girls, should I ever have any, to feel empowered and confident, and I don't think pulling and using "cards" will enable those confidences.
I think of a friend back home that, despite a terrible period of depression, managed to pull it together for her kids. She'll be the first one to tell you that if it hadn't been for her kids, she doesn't know where she'd be today. She dug herself up from the brink of a major mental crash and got it together. She could have used the MENTAL ILLNESS card, but she didn't. I honor her.
I think of my grandmother and her sisters, all of whom raised a slew of kids without benefit of husbands because they were fighting a war an ocean away. They didn't have the time to throw up their hands and give up. It wasn't an option. That is strength! They could have used the NO HUSBANDS TO HELP card, but they didn't. I honor them.
I think of a former colleague whose desire to have a child was so great that she swore she'd not complain one bit about any part of the UNCOMFORTABLE that comes with being pregnant ... despite being pregnant with twins ... and all that comes with that! She wanted those babies that much. She could have pulled the PREGNANCY card, but she didn't. I honor her.
I think of the league of women that are defending our freedoms, sacrificing their time with their children because their love for this country and what it stands for is so deep and personal. They don't have the option of saying, "I just can't do it," and would we really want them to? The number of cards these women could pull is immeasurable, but they don't pull a one. I honor these women.
I think of the other league of women running households and children and schedules while keeping one, possibly two and three jobs down all at the same time, while their husbands are away, defending our freedoms. When do they get to play cards? I honor these women as well!
I honor every woman that has ever come out of a bad, often times, abusive relationship and, having learned from her horrifying experiences, can finally love and respect herself. I honor those women!
I think of my own mother who mothered two girls, despite not having an example of how a mother of girls past ten years old should parent. She could have played the MY MOTHER DIED WHEN I WAS YOUNG card, but she didn't. And she was totally successful at the whole mother thing, anyway. I honor her!
There are countless numbers of women paving the way for future generations of girls to rock their worlds, and I don't want to devalue their journey by ever achieving less than my best.
I honor all you strong, vibrant women out there making it happen and rocking your worlds! You are my hereos! You are my inspiration!
Lately, I've noticed a trend ... whiny women. I'm not making a blanket statement or anything. I've just noticed a growing faction (albeit small) of women whining that about they fact that they've got it all, and they don't know how to deal with the responsibility. Witnessing this phenomenon has caused me to become increasingly resentful, and last night, finally, I unloaded on my mom, a forward-thinking woman before her time.
My mom's response? "You know, I had time constraints -- a load of responsibilities too overwhelming to comprehend -- when I was raising my kids, we all did. But we did it, because that was our responsibility as mothers and women. I don't think these younger girls understand that."
You know what, I think she might be right.
I feel a huge debt of gratitude, and a huge amount of responsibility to the throngs of women that came before me and blazed the trail so that I could enjoy the spoils of working as a woman and, to a certain extent, working as an equal in today's work force. I wouldn't for one minute pull A CARD that's being used today (you know, like, "I'm PMSing, so I just don't feel like doing it ...) because I feel like I owe the women before me, including my mother, who couldn't dare think of those cards, let alone use them. I want to build on their legacies not tear that legacy down.
In other words, GIRL POWER.
I want my female students ... my very own little girls, should I ever have any, to feel empowered and confident, and I don't think pulling and using "cards" will enable those confidences.
I think of a friend back home that, despite a terrible period of depression, managed to pull it together for her kids. She'll be the first one to tell you that if it hadn't been for her kids, she doesn't know where she'd be today. She dug herself up from the brink of a major mental crash and got it together. She could have used the MENTAL ILLNESS card, but she didn't. I honor her.
I think of my grandmother and her sisters, all of whom raised a slew of kids without benefit of husbands because they were fighting a war an ocean away. They didn't have the time to throw up their hands and give up. It wasn't an option. That is strength! They could have used the NO HUSBANDS TO HELP card, but they didn't. I honor them.
I think of a former colleague whose desire to have a child was so great that she swore she'd not complain one bit about any part of the UNCOMFORTABLE that comes with being pregnant ... despite being pregnant with twins ... and all that comes with that! She wanted those babies that much. She could have pulled the PREGNANCY card, but she didn't. I honor her.
I think of the league of women that are defending our freedoms, sacrificing their time with their children because their love for this country and what it stands for is so deep and personal. They don't have the option of saying, "I just can't do it," and would we really want them to? The number of cards these women could pull is immeasurable, but they don't pull a one. I honor these women.
I think of the other league of women running households and children and schedules while keeping one, possibly two and three jobs down all at the same time, while their husbands are away, defending our freedoms. When do they get to play cards? I honor these women as well!
I honor every woman that has ever come out of a bad, often times, abusive relationship and, having learned from her horrifying experiences, can finally love and respect herself. I honor those women!
I think of my own mother who mothered two girls, despite not having an example of how a mother of girls past ten years old should parent. She could have played the MY MOTHER DIED WHEN I WAS YOUNG card, but she didn't. And she was totally successful at the whole mother thing, anyway. I honor her!
There are countless numbers of women paving the way for future generations of girls to rock their worlds, and I don't want to devalue their journey by ever achieving less than my best.
I honor all you strong, vibrant women out there making it happen and rocking your worlds! You are my hereos! You are my inspiration!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
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