I pretend to understand how some young people view their self-worth. I struggle with it actually, quite a few of them access self-worth with a career. I never felt it necessary to form my life around a job, or career. I wanted to succeed in life, in family, in personal strength. Of course, this is a different world I was brought up in, The need to suceed is ever present, pushed or culture, and in even in middle school. Who you going to be when you grow up? What will you be?
Its all personal. Frankly, I put my children first and foremost. I brought them into the world, I should take the reigns, and build them up to be good functioning people. I thought less of me, and more of them. Its true. I would skip eating a sandwich for lunch so I could give my kids the last slices of bread. I gave up new clothes, shoes, and basic necessities, to give them what they needed or wanted. I worked, but I worked around my husbands schedule-he was the main bread winner- so the kids didn't spend their entire day in a daycare. I wanted them to at least be with one of us It was difficult raising my kids on a fixed income, but we struggled and we managed to give them a good childhood with great Christmases, birthdays, and even an occasional vacation. It mattered to us, to give them memories, and meals at the table.
So, if I seem unsympathetic to the career hungry culture, its because being successful at being a parent meant a whole lot more than a career. And I like to think I did pretty well with my two kids. So, maybe my career was simply, being a Mom.
