Great article! Though this quote from Julie made me laugh: “Our society values motherhood and professorship differently. This is not because of some inherent inequalities. Simply, one takes more effort to achieve than another. Any human with two ovaries can become a mother (well, almost any), but it still takes a degree of effort to obtain a PHD.”
My husband and I have raised a blended family of 8 very lively, strong-willed, intelligent people who are productive, law-abiding members of society (including 4 who have served or are currently serving in the military). I also have to work outside the home, and am currently going to school part-time to finish a degree.
I have to tell you that even though my job and school take a great deal of effort and are both very satisfying to me personally, NOTHING has been more challenging, exciting, or worthwhile than raising children. I am so proud of who they are becoming and feel that they have been worth every sleepless night, every tear, every “sacrifice.” My favorite T-shirt says it all: “Motherhood is not for wimps.”
For those who do not have children: your lives are also important and valuable, and, I hope, fulfilling. So much about life depends on attitude rather than the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Maybe what we need to do is look beyond the label, celebrate those things we have in common, learn from different perspectives, and realize that we all have something to contribute.
