More Than Just “Mommy”

By day, I play a mild mannered mother of seven and doting wife. Outwardly, people see a busy yet content person who strives to raise healthy, happy children. I don my “Super Mom” cape every morning, and only shed it after the kids are asleep. However, I am a multifaceted woman on the inside. I am so much more than just an overworked, underpaid uterus. The fact that some people refuse to acknowledge my right to be more than just a sweet, mild mannered mother of seven, boggles my mind. Have you ever experienced this kind of prejudice?

The perfect example of this is one of my personal blogs. The blog is a way for me to vent my frustrations, comically illustrate my life and dispose of all the thoughts that are inappropriate to share with my children. It is my personal safe haven, a written sanctuary. I choose to share it with the world because it helps other moms feel like their own shortcomings and struggles are not so abnormal. Some people read it for pure comic relief. Then, there are the people who scour my blog posts for hate fodder. My words fuel their fires and they use my blog to call me an inept mother. This makes me laugh because I will readily admit to being somewhat inept. I’ve never claimed to be perfect. I share my imperfections on a daily basis. I reveal my fictitious alter ego, Kooky Kadi, so that other moms may see that it is okay to yearn for a part of themselves that belongs to nobody but them.

The fact that I am a mother, is not grounds for abandoning the part of me that is just plain old Kadi. I do my job, as a mother, to the best of my ability. Then, I allow myself the privilege to being crass, sarcastic and totally opposite of what I can be when I wear my “Super Mom” cape. Why can’t people understand that it is possible to be both?  Is it not possible to have a profession and be a good parent? I once wrote a post, out of anger, that bad mouthed teachers who choose to have babies and ultimately sacrifice the welfare of their students. Now I realize that it is only a few teachers who cannot still do a good job as a teacher and give their new babies the attention that they deserve. Most teachers balance the two very well. In my anger at our personal situation, I made a gross generalization and abhorrent implication that teachers should not have babies. I was wrong and hypocritical to make such a statement and I regret it. I see that everyone is allowed to play more than just one role. It is our God given right to be many things in life and I, for one, am so glad that we are granted that privilege, regardless of what others might say! 

photo credit: Kadi