Get a Load of This

Recently there was an article written in Salon magazine about Mormon "mommy bloggers". The article was called Why I can't stop reading Mormon housewife blogs by: Debbie Matchar

Seeing as though I fit within the realm of this genre I thought that I should read the afore mentioned article.

So where do I begin?

I think that overall the article is fair but at the same time I was slightly annoyed. Why can't we be "uplifting" in our finding joy in motherhood? Although this is a goal of many LDS women it does not always come easily. No matter how profound our blogs are or how "perfect" our lives may seem there is no denying that LDS women face the same issues as any other sector of the female population. Maybe many of us are just trying to feel a sense of validation that we don't get because we don't get raises or expense accounts or an "at-a-girl" for those well cleaned refrigerators. But over all we have happy well-adjusted lives because we choose to make it that way- medicated or not.

I mean who cares if Utah has the highest percentage of people on anti-depressants. More power to those women who realize that there is an issue and take care of it rather than drowning themselves or their children. As an LDS woman who has dealt with depression this stupid stigma that we are depressed because we are oppressed or unhappy with our lives is hoey. We face the same disappointments and stress as any other woman but we have great highs too. Kids that want to cook with us or actually ask to help clean. Husband's that make us breakfast in bed and bring flowers home from the airport after a long business trip. Parents that encourage us to follow our dreams and remind us where we came from. Siblings who share our background. And friends....FRIENDS that are there when you are barfing day after day during an awful pregnancy. Friends that may move but who you still remember the meal they brought after you had your baby. Friends that come with being LDS because we offer relief...Maybe that's why our organization is called the Relief Society....

I know that it may seem to the outside world that we come off as a little "leave it to beaver-esque" however why would we post about the worst about our lives all the time. Certainly we need to vent and occasionally the blog is that venue but in general we just want to find a way to document our life for family that lives far away, share ideas that we think someone may appreciate, or just store our favorite recipes for friends and family to drool over.

I believe that in this day in age what was once "normal" is now peculiar and Ms. (or Mrs.) Matchar has made this apparent. Nowadays people don't just put off having a family because of money or a home or whatever else but because kids don't fit into their perceived lifestyle. (This of course is completely off topic but HOW SELFISH! I mean now my kids don't just have to worry about caring for me but for the people who chose not to have children! ARGGG! Back to the topic at hand...) Women feel that a home cooked meal is a luxury. Men enjoy eating on the road rather than at home. Kids find friends online rather than with their own siblings.

Unfortunately my life is peculiar ... not everyone sits down to the table for dinner each night as a family. Not everyone grows a garden or cooks game that their husband brings home. Not everyone can take a ham and turn it into nearly 20 different meals. Alas what is normal for me is peculiar to many people.

For all the issues that I have with my life periodically I know that although the grass can seem greener it still needs just as much watering. It still would take the same amount of effort to find happiness and choose to find joy in being a woman, wife, mother, etc.