On the other hand... how many of us know in our heads that what we are doing is relevant yet in our hearts feel that we have little to no influence in the world at large. If anyone even cares that we spend our days wiping noses and butts it feels like the only time something is said it's in a snide manner. Like we could have anything important or interesting to say after spending years of our lives attending to little people and their needs while almost forgetting about ourselves.
Where is the balance in all of this? How do you stay sane in a world where it feels like you are derided for the choice you have made? How do you stay sane when you're not sure it was the best choice for you?
What makes one relevant anyway?
This is a post prompt from The Gypsy Mama. Join in?
In the long run, it doesn't matter what the world thinks. But, one answer is that this is just a season in your life. You have years ahead of you to do and be all the world expects of you. And, we don't have to fit into the mold! :) I gave it all up for my children and they are now in college and I am back doing what I did before they were born. I never have regretted stepping out of the lime light for a season. Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, this year more than ever before, I've felt the perplexing expectations put on women. On our own, we give ourselves enough ulcers with our own unmet expectations, but to also find myself face to face with the expectations put on me just because I'm a mother (and they go in all sorts of baffling directions - none of the expectations are consistent) has been hard this year. I figure if my kids are happy, appropriately clothed, eating more than candy for meals and not even understanding what the threat of violence means, I think I've done a good enough job. Obviously, I want to do more but I try to block out all the voices that try to tell mothers that we're wrong no matter what we do. I don't need the ignorant two cents of strangers. But man, those strangers are hard to ignore, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI think that this becomes a haunting question for all of us. Struggling to matter as well as be relevant. I can tell ya, I work outside the home, go to school part time, and am a mom of two (3 and 5) and then you doubt, am I doing ANY of these as well as I could...it's healthy to wonder, it's how we grow. Look for those quiet moment when your heart knows you've done something good...you'll find relevance there.
ReplyDeleteI am relevant because with every breath I take, every nose I wipe, every dish I wash, I influence the world around me. Every time I correct and rebuke my little ones, I am preparing them to do the same. I would say that we are more relevant, because we not only influence our personal sphere, but also the personal sphere of our children, and thanks to the ripple effect the world will be changed. Maybe not in an earth-shattering manner, but it will be changed. Thank you as always for writing - keep up the good work!
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