Know Your Audience

I’d like to propose the following be shared by a man to a maternity ward full of stay at home moms who just gave birth to a fourth child.

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“Ladies, congratulations! I’d like to address you specifically today as you hold your infant.

I hope you find your true calling. Because this ain’t it!

As your child grows and you drive from one school to another and then back to the grocery store for the second time with a baby throwing up in the back seat while trying to meet up with your partner because he forgot his keys, please know you’ve been sold a diabolical lie.

You need to know that your desire to get married, and have children goes against everything I think makes a good woman! Women should be working and contributing to the gross domestic product.

Your true value is -not- in being a mother.

You need to find your true value in a vocation. Build a business, find a creative venture, or give your time, skills, and energy to a non profit.

Give life in ways that aren’t just putting more bodies on the planet. Help others rather than just creating more mouths to feed, you ridiculous breeder!

Don’t you see that the lie you’ve been told is that motherhood is a sacred role. Your truest destiny is in finding activity beyond marriage and motherhood.

Stop creating life and get one!

I think we all know what you really want: a quiet meal, 8 hours of sleep, and less laundry!

Amiright??!

You’re probably tired from the vomiting, sleepless nights, and back pain, but I feel now is a good time to remind you that having children is a useless way to spend your days, and the way I see the world is THE way!

I want to ensure you hear this from me at this time of ‘celebration’.”

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Let me be perfectly clear: I want a world where women get to decide what they want to do and be.

Stay at home mom? Awesome!

Go to the office mom! Fantastic!

Not a mom? Marvy!

Many have fought in and before my generation to ensure we have career and family choices.

There are those who would love to stay home but don’t have the means, and those who would love to have a career outside of the family and home, but don’t have the time.

We honor each of these choices, and we honor the ‘I didn’t have a choice’ choices, too!

Your innate worth does not come from having offspring. Your innate value does not change because you’re married and have children, or because you don’t!

You are priceless. Being partnered or single, or your desire to reproduce or not, changes your worth NOT AT ALL!

One’s role changes. One’s priorities change. The demands and responsibilities on a person change, but your soul isn’t worth more or less because you are single or married, or a mom or not.

Your intrinsic value doesn’t change because you have a corner office, or you’re reaching for a diaper from the corner shelf.

Your worth DOES NOT change. No matter what you’ve done, or what’s been done to you!

So perhaps we can just celebrate graduates and new moms and all the thousands of ways women show up in the world. ALL OF THEM.

Believe what you want, use your inside voice, and know your audience!