Around 7:30 this morning, I awoke to the sound of little whimpers on the baby monitor. Katelyn was sounding the first warnings of an oncoming hunger cry. I had just enough time to go to the bathroom and get some water before I settled into an easy chair to nurse my hungry baby.
I usually watch the Today show during Katelyn's morning feedings. It is interesting enough to keep me awake but simple enough for such an early hour in the day. One of the big stories in the news this morning had to do with the new CEO of a major company. The noteworthiness of the story was not that she was a woman; the shock factor came from her newly announced pregnancy.
The woman assured stockholders that she would not be taking a full maternity leave for the impending birth. She would take a few weeks and work during that time to ensure that production would not fall behind. Critics have questioned her ability to juggle two major life changes at once.
This question brings up one of the hot topic questions of the mother world...
can women really have it all?
I guess the politically correct side of me says that each woman should decide for herself and do what she thinks is the best for her family.
Anything he can do I can do better. I can do anything better than him. Right?
The logical side tells me that it's impossible for anyone to really have it all. Sacrifice and compromise is an integral part of life. The question is ...
what and more importantly whom do you choose to sacrifice?
The spiritual side reminds me that the best thing for a family, the best thing for my family is to have a mother at home, teaching, nurturing, healing, and caring for her children. No one has Katelyn's best interests at heart like I do.
The emotional side of me feels my heart melt when Katelyn will smile at no one else but me and for no reason other than that I am her mother, the source of love, comfort, security, and well yes, nourishment. This side makes me realize that I would be devastated to miss any second of her sweet smiles and laughs because I was chasing a dream that was not meant for me.
The truth is that motherhood is a full time job. It is more than full time. It's overtime. You're always on call and your shift never ends. It is, however, a fulfilling job.
I will never regret graduating from college. It is an accomplishment I chose to strive for since childhood. I also don't regret my wonderful albeit short - lived career.
I was the CEO of a high school classroom.
I was proud to be a teacher and I loved helping students learn. I miss being in the classroom and am anticipating a bit of sadness in August when school starts again and I am not there. But when the time came to leave my career behind I did not regret that decision either.
I'll spare you the history lesson (although that was my career) but I will say that our nation has seen a devaluation of motherhood. At some point in time, we decided that being a mother just wasn't enough, that tending children was just that, watching the kids. Women were made to feel inferior, or worse, lazy for staying at home to raise their children.
In reality, the work of raising well - adjusted and accomplished individuals occurs in the many small and insignificant moments of life. Just like a clock, it is not the grand face but the tiny cogs and wheels behind that keep the time. It was the presence of my mom every day, even for the boring ones, that gave me the sense of security, safety, and structure that allowed me to grow and develop independently into who I am today.
When life was difficult and I came across jolting bumps in the road, I turned to my mom, not because I was genetically linked to her but because she was the one who had always been there and the one who had all of the answers.
There's a reason they say that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Motherhood is a powerful calling and an amazing career. And just for the record ...
I do "have it all" and it is wonderful. :)
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