Thinking about yesterday's post (written in a state of exhaustion, of course), I'm reflecting again on what that woman said. It's perhaps a dangerous thing, to fall in love too much with one's own "suffering state" as a mom...and to believe that one is doing something whose level of difficulty is such that non-mothers cannot even fathom it. After all...maybe those non-mothers have taken care of sick fathers or brothers or sisters, or have had other difficult life situations thrust upon them.
In fact, I've never understood too well the "righteous mom syndrome" which seems especially prevalent in the United States. Baseball, mom and apple pie, right? It's the American Way...but "mom" should not be held up as some sort of symbol of perfect self-sacrifice and devotion to others...as it sometimes is.
As a new mom, I'd like to avoid that kind of thinking. But it's not always easy.
The other day, while walking in the Inner Richmond, I wondered if it would be possible to become progressively lighter in mood and philosophical outlook as one grows older--even as a mother, with all the cares and responsibilities that come with the job. I think my mother achieved this lightness to some extent--as I've already indicated in a previous post. I'd like to try it myself. More on this in the future.
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