Being a Mom
For a long time, being a Mom was the ultimate identity I had. I teach this stuff for college students so I think about identity a lot. What it is...always goes to a key concept: "am I who I say I am, or who I appear to be to others". Mom is the one you call when things are hard. How many of us remember the voice screaming, "MA!"? Or the crying and running to where you are? There are so many ways our Momness takes front and center. Mom is also the one you blame when you have troubles, whether those troubles happen before you become an adult or in your young adulthood. I often blamed both my parents for not encouraging me to play more sports. Yes, I played recreation volleyball and basketball - that was what we had - no Title 9 until I was in high school. But Mom told me not to run because of my big boobs - no such thing as a sports bra in those days, either. Given my self-consciousness about those boobs, I paid attention to what she said. I didn't think to ...