From One Career Mom To Another, You Go Girl!
The news has been out for over a week now. The shock is starting to wear off. But the insults continue, and I guess that's OK. That's how it is in politics. Yet I feel constrained to put my .02 cents in on the topic of Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin, and not about her politics either. In fact, I know little about her political views except that she's against abortion, that she favors drilling in Alaska and that she doesn't seem to be particularly pro-small business. I don't like that.
Not only that, I think she took lousy, repulsive, cheap, underhanded and unprofessional shots at Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, in particular by characterizing his community organizing work as anything less than a valuable and noble example of what all Americans should do. I don't like that either.
Having said all that, regardless of our political differences, I have a lot in common with Sarah Palin. We are both married to our high school sweethearts. We are both professional career women. We are both mothers of very young children. We have a loyal group of family members and girlfriends who have our back no matter what we say or do, win or lose.
And we love our families and our careers, and are determined to serve both well, simultaneously, in a world that makes it nearly impossible to do so.
I am weary of the editorials by other mothers criticizing Palin for returning to work 3 days after her child was born. When my first child was born, I scheduled an inducement so I could maintain my business and not miss publication of my weekly newsletter. I took pain killers, did not give birth in a pool and ended up having a Cesarean. And not only that, I gave an interview to a newspaper on a business related topic within 24 hours of giving birth. (Made some money as a result too.) I even gave the reporter my cell phone number so I could call her back quickly if she called while I was delivering my daughter.
Other mothers would not have made the same choices. And I took some heat for my choices, even to the point of being criticized for them on a television show once last year.
And so I support Sarah Palin for doing what she thinks is best for her life, at this time in her life.
At the end of the day, as mothers, that's all we can all do. Instead of criticizing her family choices, let's be collectively grateful that we live in a country where she has them in the first place. That, in America, a married woman can chose to: run for public office, wear whatever clothes she wants, have a career of her own, own businesses in her own name and purchase real estate without her husband's permission.
Sarah, if it was right for you and your family for you to return to work 72 hours after your child was born, then you just go sister. 72 hours after mine was born, I was sitting at my desk revising my website and learning how to breastfeed at the same time. Why? Because I felt my newborn needed the benefits of both my breast milk and my business acumen in order to have the best life possible.
I believe that a rising tide lifts all ships. And regardless of my political views where she's concerned, Sarah Palin's nomination, especially when coupled with how far Hillary Clinton came on the Democratic ticket this year, is a rising tide for women and mothers from all walks of life.
I don't have to agree with another professional mother's choices to celebrate the fact that she has them.
And regardless of the political differences I have with Sarah Palin, I'm going to ride her wave.
What do you think?
Other moms? Dads? Indie Business owners? What do you say?
