Good news and a (small) rant

Thanks for all the anniversary congratulations and good wishes for my mom. Her surgery went well yesterday and the results were very good - it seems that the cancer hasn't spread to the lymph nodes. I'm sneaking away for a few minutes at the coffeeshop to answer email and check out blogs.

Spending time with my mom isn't too bad, but my brother can be irritating sometimes. He made a statement about stay-at-home parents that made me bristle. I stayed home ever since my kids were born because it worked out best for our family and fit best with my husband's work schedule for me to be available when he had time off. I guess I was fairly submissive in that way. My life pretty much revolved around his life and his work. I volunteered a lot and took care of the home and tried to get some sense of self-worth from service to the schools, church and community. I gained a lot of skills, but no money and very little respect during an era when feminism was helping put women into the workplace. I consider myself a feminist and I'm grateful for the choices I have because of the women's movement, but my choices have not fit in with the mainstream of feminist thought. I grew up in a time and place where most moms were housewives. I became an adult during the 60's when equality was the buzzword. I spent many years being confused by my lack of desire for a career, I thought I was betraying other women by my choices.

Finally, I’m able to recognize and accept my submissive nature and see it as a valid choice as a feminist, as a woman, mother, daughter and wife. I like being Meow, which BTW is Lash’s name for me: short for My Ever-lovin’ Obedient Wife.