Having it all

Being the eldest girl in the family meant that there was no trail or path set by anyone which I had to follow or any tradition i had to confine myself too. It also meant that everytime I did something unconventional a lot of my extended family would tell me that "good girls don't do that". It could be as trivial as wearing a skirt at 15 or wanting to become a classical dancer. Which meant my parents especially my dad had to fight with a ton of prejudice and listen to a lot many lectures just to make sure that I could be free to do it all, have it all, dream big and be what I wanted to be. And for that I'm eternally grateful. Of course it helped that I come from a very strong line of women- My Maternal Grandma, a teenage widow who was one of the first woman doctors in her region and then my mom who was a mother at 17 and went on to do a PHD in English Literature, so I knew how to fight and get what I wanted and I sure did. So my dad just doesn't understand how so many of my younger cousins who have never had to fight for their freedom can just give up their ambitions and stay home as soon as motherhood arrives. I wonder too. But then doesn't freedom mean the liberty to choose? Should they be lectured just because ten tiny toes, an upturned nose and tiny fists rearranges their priorities? Isn't motherhood one of the most rewarding and meaningful jobs in the world? why can't it be a career? Eariler i saw this beautiful advertisement dedicated to the Olympic moms and it moves me beyond tears. for it expresses what we all feel- for our childern and for our mothers. Now which boss can rival that emotion? ad_n_4548505.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/06/thank-you-mom-sochi-ad_n_4548505.html I remember all the days spent in the cold mornings watching my son playing baseball. All the evenings where dinner had to be through a drive-through, Breakfast on the field, weekends spent on the road going from one tournament to another. Driving him from a game and consoling a tearful boy on not being played enough or exulting with him on a ball hit out of the ballpark. Of dragging a reluctant little 5 year old to play soccer, of rushing from work to watch her play basketball, all vacations being around their schedule and missing movies and office meetings to watch one more game. This was no sacrifice at all. It was an investment in their future so the worlld could have these wonderful citizens of tomorrow. It surely is worth it all. I realise this today after so many years, maybe the younger generation is smarter than us and have decided that being the "The Chief Cheerleader" is the best role of all. So who am I to disagree?