A Good Mother – I know very little about being a parent and raising children. I admit it. But I can still recognize sacrifice and the unusual characteristics that classify a mom as a “good mother.” First, such a mother must place the interests of their child above themselves. Second, I think one’s life must revolve around the child. That youngster is the center of their universe. And perhaps last is that matters of the heart take a back seat to the love for that child.
Such is the case of Patty, who I had the privilege of driving from her job as a nanny to her home. She gave up her job earning about $70,000 per year and is now a part-time nanny while caring for her 1 ½ year-old son. She could toss him in day care and would be justified to do that. After all, she would be able to provide a better material life for her child. But there must be a value for the nurturing that a mother provides. We seem to have lost track of that.
Where’s the father? We have lots of single moms out there and it’s easy to pass judgment. In this case, the father lives in South Aftrica and while she tried to make that lifestyle fit, the educational opportunities and social atmosphere led her back to the good old U.S.A. Remember America? There’s been some controversy of late with some proclaiming America was never a great country. That hurts me when I think of the sacrifices my father and our forefathers gave to create this America where we have supposed religious freedom and choices that many countries do not have. We are far from perfect, as is our form of democracy, but we are far better than any country in the world in allowing our citizens freedoms of choice.
Is American better than two hundred years ago? 1819. Slavery. War. Oppression of women.
What about one hundred years ago? 1919. World War I. An influenza pandemic that killed more people world-wide than any other event in recorded history. 20-40 million people. Dead. The Great Depression was approaching. Women didn’t yet have the right to vote. That was coming one year later, 1920.
We can go on. I want to offer kudos to Patty. She’s in her late thirties and recognized right away that she had to place the care of her son above all else in her life. She practices that lifestyle that requires she struggles financially but her son has her emotional support. Full-time.
Toss in a prayer for Patty. I applaud her.
Martyatl 