05 June 2009

Mother's Day Redux

It's only been 26 days since Honeypiehorse at Our Feet are the Same tagged me to talk about five things I enjoy about motherhood. You can put it down to illness, travel and motherhood itself that had me go this long without responding, although I have been thinking about it....
  1. One of the best aspects of motherhood is the all-encompassing change as a result of it. I thought that I cared about the world and my place in it, but as I have two people who will continue to live in it as women, Jews, feminists and humans, my concerns with the political, feminist, humanist, environmental and economic world become more focused and important. I no longer let things go because I would rather try to deal with certain aspects than leave those for my children to inherit.
  2. I love the way that even when the children are completely irrational, when they blow up at me and rage, at the end, all they want to do is sit in my lap and have a good hug.
  3. They make me more patient. For those who think I have very little patience, just imagine how I was before I had two children!
  4. Perhaps everyone has already said this- I haven't read all the posts yet- but I love the children with a visceral love, from my kishkes. The smell of them, the feel of them, the heat of them.
  5. And lastly, I love them as a part of myself. An extension of my parents, and their parents. Of the family and life and ancestry and history and culture that were stolen from me and from the world. A theft which my life and the lives of my children and family are a living symbol of repudiation to and a sign of victory over. Every step that we make is a step through and over those who would have rejoiced at our annihilation and I rejoice in our happiness and in our continuation.
And I am just awful at tagging folks, but if anyone would like to join on, please feel free to, just post here and at Honeypiehorse's post as well.

1 comment:

honeypiehorse said...

What beautiful little human beings.