Momitude

I read blogs and articles all over the internet and I read about the 'Mommy Wars' phenomenon. I read about women who compete over what their children know and learn and lord it over others that their children don't eat McDonalds, or never watch television, and I think how awful it would be to be exposed to people like that. Because even if the moms in my group drive me batty, I don't see us trying to one-up each other on how clean our houses are or how smart our kids are. If anything, we commiserate, the latest conversation revolving around worst mother award. And even better, well, it will be good in a few months, these women drink. Because I highly believe in the restorative powers of alcohol with friends - I'll be forever grateful to my grandmother for always showing me in her attitude that life is short, have a beer.

I struggle with my lack of ambition, knowing that my father would want me to do more, knowing that HE wanted to do more but didn't get the opportunity. I sense that my brother is confused by my complacency as well, though his goal has been clearly defined by the structure of the field of medicine. And I always come back to my grandmother and think, Would I be more impressed by her if she had worked? and my answer is always No, because she knew how to LAUGH.

I hope I can always keep that attitude in parenting, because knowing that life isn't so serious is the best way to get through it all, I think. And thankfully, I seem to have found people who understand that on their functional level.