For the past few days I have been captivated by Sarah Palin. I have researched and read and pondered and tried to decide how I feel about her. I am not sure that I have made a final decision, but I sure was impressed with her speech last night. Politically I am as excited as can be that John McCain chose her. However, as a mother I am struggling to support her. I feel the same tugs that I felt while Brad was in seminary. For so long my world rotated around politics and public policy. I had dreams of running for office or writing legislation. Law School only fueled that. But then....suddenly with the birth of John Patrick and some "Moore and Mohler" indoctrination, something happened. Politics and law degrees lost all luster. Motherhood became much more important. When John was 15 months old I entered the corporate work force. I hated it. It was misery. The thought of my child being with someone other than me was nauseating. I realized that there was nothing more important to me than being a mother. Sure there are days when I struggle now and no one was more excite about Mother's Day Out starting than me....but I promise that my worst day ever as a stay at home mom was far better than my best day of work in the corporate world.
I refuse to condemn working mothers as I know that many have to work. However, I truly believe deep down that where I am is the best place to be. Daycare makes me sick. I can not imagine leaving my children for 50 hours a week with someone else. My obligation in life is to my children to raise them and to teach them about the love and work of Jesus. Maybe someday I will use my education. I certainly have felt the pressure from almost everyone that I know. Maybe that is the pressure that Sarah Palin feels. I hope she does well and I certainly hope she wins....but I do not envy her in the least. It is not the road I would choose and I am afraid that while the rest of us will benefit tremendously from having her in office, there are five children out there who will suffer immensely.
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I think a lot of you as a friend, and I know you are a great mother. However, as a fellow sister in Christ, your post is very disappointing to me. It is unfair to assume that women can in no circumstances be led by God to work outside the home, even perhaps Sarah Palin. Some of us work not just because we have to, but because the joy that we gain from working actually makes us better moms. I struggle daily in the knowledge that other women believe I am doing my son a disservice by working. I know they are wrong, and God knows they are wrong, but it still doesn't feel good. Please try to find it in your heart to accept that what might be God's path for your family is not necessarily God's path for another family.
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