The Secret Life of...

Last monday we watched the premiere of "The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom", mainly to see if it was a show that was dedicated to making women think that to have it all is to have kids and then have someone rescue you from that life and give you a chance to live your real dream. I've been a little miffed at the previews for a while, so I had to see. Well, I was emotional through the whole thing. Kind of mad I guess, because they really did portray this mom as a poor thing who gave up her dream and now could have another chance. Like she screwed up or something and now she can make it right again when she is offered a big job. This mom chose the job offer and went back to work. So, tonight I turned it on right at the end to see what choice the 2nd mom would make. She said no. It was a tearful no, but a no none the less. She acknowleged that her children were still moldable and needed her, and she still had the opportunity to help shape them into the adults they could be. Good for her I thought. The same episode aired again back to back, so we watched from the beginning even though we knew what the end result would be. As I was putting Joe to bed, I whispered in his ear, "I love you Joe, and I would never go back to work if it meant giving up being at home with you." At that point I realized that these two women in the first two shows didn't have the opportunity to work their chosen careers much or at all. They studied, graduated, married, had children and stayed home. I didn't. I worked for three years before Jakob came and then I returned for another 18 months until Joshua arrived. I had my chance. I know I'm a great therapist, that I can do it...I did it. Maybe I did have the best of both worlds. But it did make me realize also that I did not make the wrong choice. I love being a mom, and for the most part I'm a good mom. My chance to be a physical therapist will always be there, my children at a young age will not. I'm still not pleased with this new show. I really think that at some point they need to admire the woman who chooses family over career, even if it is a huge opportunity. If you screw your family up, there's no turning back, no do-overs, no trying again. You're just done. It certainly isn't any easier to stay at home than it was to go to work. It may even be more work to stay at home, but it certainly also has it's sweet rewards, and I'm not talking about staying in slippers until noon, although that is great. We talked in our parenting group tonight again about the importance of being a family. Setting an example, teaching, not just telling, and making the very most of this short period of time we have with the most amazing gifts that God has given us. Our goal before our next meeting is to create a family mission statement. Mission statements are usually short, and that could be a challenge, because this family isn't quick about anything.