Re-spons-i-BIL-ity

I like visiting this house. Stefanie decorates in vibrant colors, and children’s recent handiwork is displayed here and there. At this holiday season, ornaments and snowflakes drop from the ceiling in the entry. Woolen stockings dangle from the bay window. But what I like best is that her Master’s diploma hangs in the kitchen.

Once that little baby is birthed, wrapped in a warm blanket, and focuses intently on his mother’s face, a woman’s world is changed forever…or at least it should be. Oh, there are still other things to do, things to clean, things to maintain. Some desires are pursued and some shelved for a while or forever. A woman’s heart shifts from inward and faces outward in a way it never quite has before.

And, not always because we want it to. For who would desire sleepless nights over a sick child, a challenging teen, a struggling 
adult? Yet, we do it just the same.

Nine-year-old Breck sat at the breakfast table, swirling his cereal around in his bowl and informed me that his parents were teaching him “re-spons-i-BIL-ity.” 

Encouraging, I said, “That’s good. Because everyone needs to learn to be responsible.” 

“But, Granny, sometimes I don’t like it!”

Maybe that’s what responsibility is. Maybe it’s doing what’s right when right is what we’d rather not. And though there are lots of things we love about motherhood (it’s often great free entertainment), there are many years that we often set aside ourselves. Maybe every woman should just hang her diploma in the kitchen.