Shokufeh is... home

Swirls

There have been so many thoughts swirling in my head, I find them hard to put into words. They have to do with:

how best to wipe away my tears of last week and get on board with the next four years, both in head and heart

how to organize my life, in the present and the future

whether the leak I discovered in our apartment this weekend caused major damage

what would compel someone to wear a skirt that looks like mens underwear with a few inches of denim at the bottom

While I wrap my brain around my thoughts, I'll share something that I found very powerful:
Last week on the Today show, they did a segment on a "mompreneur" (stay-at-home-mom and entrepreneur, rolled into one), who started a purse business. It grew out of some drawings she made based on dreams she had while suffering from post-partum depression after the birth of her second daughter. Now, six or so years later, she balances the business of purses with the business of being a mom to two elementary school-age girls, with the latter taking first priority.

But she didn't say that raising the two girls comes first. She said that raising the two women comes first. That one word difference turned the sentence from a regular sentence to a very powerful one. Because, when it comes down to it, when you have a child, you are raising them to be an adult. They happen to be in their child form, and you shouldn't treat them as if they're 25 years old. But, I think, the parents who keep in mind that they're raising women, rather than girls (and men, rather than boys), are creating offspring who will take responsibility for themselves and the world they live in, endowing them with a lot of positive power.

Posted by Shokufeh at November 9, 2004 03:08 PM