Monday, May 11, 2009

Impossible standards

Mother's Day can sometimes be miserable for moms. Out There, somewhere, is some mom who's got it all together. She looks just right. Her kids are cute, clean, matching and well-behaved. She has more than enough time nights and weekends after work to have a spotless home, in between her hobbies. She's thin, well-educated, happy and wealthy. She's got it all, but you Just Don't Measure Up to her. There you are feeling lousy about your snotty-nosed kids running around in nothing but their diapers, with only potato chips in their stomachs. How did it all go so wrong?

The truth? That Mom is a myth, and she's been dying to fess up for ages. She hasn't cooked a home made meal in so long that she's forgotten how to turn on her oven. The clean, matching outfits come courtesy of the concierge service at the dry cleaner for which she paid a premium. The well behaved part comes with a little help from Benadryl before that public outing. It's all a sham with smoke and mirrors. If you looked underneath the manicure, you'd see the nails bitten down to the quick. The wealth? You don't even want to see her bank statements. It only looks good; the core isn't nearly so sweet. She can't even remember the color of her children's eyes, but she does have time to confess about it - secretly. The hot new fad of 2009 isn't really budget tips and frugal ways to go green. It's mommy-confession websites and sitcoms.

So this is what feminism has brought us, huh? Mommy wars, insecurities, unhappy kids and homes. It isn't quite was those college professors hyped it up to be. There are some realistic standards to which a 21st century woman can obtain. However, they won't make good copy, and they're too out-dated to be trendy. Looks like we may have to relearn some old lessons the hard way.

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