Life has been an interesting roller coaster ride for me lately. I've been trying to get over being anxious, trying some new things, and handling some ongoing problems of a legal nature.
I've also been much busier lately. I've been trying to get more involved in the school, the parish, and meeting more people.
So in February with a bit of trepidation I joined this year's MOMS session for new members. Ministry of Mothers Sharing is a Catholic organization with groups at many parishes across the U.S. Each year they offer their session to new mothers in the community in hopes of bringing more mothers into the community, The session consists of six weekly meetings that follow the outline of a book specifically designed to get mothers to think about what they want in life and bond with the other moms.
My session finished a few weeks ago. Tonight is the yearly MOMS dinner to formally welcome all of the new moms into the MOMS organization.
I was a little nervous going into this at first. Our parish includes members from Paradise Valley (home of Mike Tyson), Biltmore (home of some of the highest property values in AZ), Arcadia (old established Phoenix) and North Scottsdale. I admit to having a little residual class envy as a result of growing up rather low-income and I was pretty sure I wasn't going to fit in at all, or that the women would be so shallow that I wouldn't want to.
I was completely wrong on both counts.
I found out very quickly that the other three moms (two newbies and one MOMS veteran) were just like me, complete with the same challenges, worries, and issues. All of us are reasonably well off, but none of us are snobs, or shallow, or any other stereotype I came to associate with that income bracket. On top of that we're all generous, charitable people who would like to spend their free time helping other people.
Once again, my media-driven liberal education has been proven faulty. And I'm not at all upset about it.
Our session has been over for a couple of weeks now and we've replaced it with a weekly Bible study, since everyone wants to keep our weekly meetings going. For a Bible study we discuss many things outside of the norm and once again I find these other women to be intelligent, questioning women whose main mission in life is being a wife and mother. All of us break the stereotype of the “stupid housewife” and every one of us want a better world for our kids. So my mission has been very successful; I have found other women who understand what I'm going through and what I'm fighting for.
For those of you in the gun community this is akin to finding out that your new co-worker shoots, or that your new girlfriend has an interesting in firearms from both World Wars. Just when you think you're the odd one out for your interests or beliefs, you find you are surrounded by people with the same interests or goals. This is no less satisfying to me and just as welcome, to find that in the middle of materialism central, there are other moms concerned with raising their kids with better values and an appreciation for personal responsibility.
A couple more weeks of this and I might find that the Republic is not as lost as I thought.
In the meantime though I'll enjoy our new camaraderie and look forward to the next spirited discussion of culture and politics. And enjoy the realization that I'm not as weird or singular as I thought, and that there are many more women out there willing to fight for what they think is right for their kids, and society as a whole.
Mel
Just call me Mel, everyone else does.
