CoL XII: Motherhood Manifesto, Love You MOM

Love your mom? Read this from The Nation. Then read this at MomsRising. Then buy the book.

&c. (click Et Plus!)
When I was in grad school for my Masters, my sister Mary was too. And she was/is a single mom with a six year old son, Noah -- now in his twenties and studying Architecture in Portland, OR. He's stunning, talented, and good-hearted. She was in grad school with a kid, so she was always nearly broke, worried about paying for gas (when it cost only about 80c/gal), and always pretty stressed out. On nights when she had class and I was free, I would kidsit Noah. Our campus had a day care center, but it wasn't open nights for grad students who mostly attend class at night because we're teaching/grading/studying/writing during the day. I sat for free, Mary ordered pizza and that was payment for me and food for both of us; Noah and I would play football or goof off if I didn't have work to do, and when I did have work, Noah would sit by me on the couch and read or draw or otherwise entertain himself because he understood what Mary and I were doing in life. When I had work, I would look up from a book and say, "Get this...." and read a line from Derrida or Marcuse or Shelley or Stein or HD. He would counter with, "Get this..." and read a line from Dr. Seuss or something kiddish, and that was insanely charming fun. But my point is, Mary needed more support than she had, and it was one of those moments that made me realize that I led then and lead now an insanely privileged life.

Moms and dads and kids in this country need to be valued. Families of all kinds need to be valued, and not just in political rhetoric during campaigns and then neatly forgotten for the sake of ... pick your annoying issue. Sign this petition. It's good karma. It will mean that you are here and doing well because your mom, and your dad, made that possible. It will honor your mother, your love for her, and families in a real and substantive way.

Budgets are simply lists of priorities. Families should much higher on that list.

To my mom, Fleur de Lys de Bretagne, who is magnificent and inspirational and strong like tungsten: I'm signing this for you. (I'm also getting you a gift, don't worry.) I'm doing it because you have loved me when I wasn't loveable, you have believed in me without question or hesitation, and you have advised me with wisdom and care and respect for my own way of being myself. Because I forgive you for insisting that my bedroom be pink when I was little. I'm signing it because I'm not yet a mom, and I know that bugs you a little because you want grandkids to spoil and teach in the ways you taught me. I'm signing it because when I am a mom (likely through adoption), I would very much like to know that my society ACTS like that's the Essential Social and Economic Contribution, as well as personal joyful/frustrating adventure, that it is.

Now, women and feminists have been working for changes like these for, and I am not even kidding, decades. I could scare you out of your pants with a reading list of books, studies, articles it would take you a good three or so months to read if you did nothing else at all in that time -- but I won't. Just, please, sign this, and pass it on to people you love and who love you.

Dad, I'll get you honored next month. Don't worry.

Happy Mother's Day! Let the Renaissance begin.