Honestly, I struggled to read most of this. As a woman struggling with infertility, undergoing IVF, but acutely aware of the odds against me, I found this more triggering than I should have.
I should've known to expect and brace myself for that, even. I did read Part I, so I knew the topic at hand. Why it hit me so unexpectedly is surely my own lack of foresight and caution. But I'm sharing it nonetheless, because it is my truthful first reaction.
There's a lot more there, but I'll need to introspect & journal more personally before I can even begin to articulate the connecting thoughts that extend from this... like how women have no value *beyond* their ability to bear children, how glorified mothers already are in society, the moral & ethical ramifications of the biases that come from putting your child on a pedestal - which you noted is a byproduct of motherhood...
I want to also add though, that while the bulk of this post was difficult for me, the end resonated completely:
"It is hard to fathom why this - the building of the bodies, minds, and relationships of our species’ future - is not seen as the work of all work, the main point of civilisation. Can you imagine anything more important? Can you imagine what humanity might become, if such sacred work was our clear priority?"
I've long wondered about this and struggled with this dilemma. It seems counterintuitive and self-savotaging to society that we DON'T give more priority to children, childhood, education, childcare, etc.!
I've long worked with children (though the pandemic ended that), & often grappled with this illogical fact. It's never made sense to me how little society cares for its youngest members -- alas, many times even parents themselves don't fully appreciate the beauty & potential of childhood (even in their own children)! Maybe that's an American phenomenon, but it never ceases to amaze me how other people (& societies) treat children (their own & others).
Children *are* the future; our salvation or destruction will be largely in their hands, just as our actions now determine the legacy we leave for them to deal with.
-
I wanted to share these reflections, because they were so polar opposite each other. I felt so strongly against one part, but so completely in agreement with the other... which is an odd dichotomy!
I have no point to any of this, save to share my perspective. 🤷🏻♀️ Thank you for writing yours!
Honestly, I struggled to read most of this. As a woman struggling with infertility, undergoing IVF, but acutely aware of the odds against me, I found this more triggering than I should have.
I should've known to expect and brace myself for that, even. I did read Part I, so I knew the topic at hand. Why it hit me so unexpectedly is surely my own lack of foresight and caution. But I'm sharing it nonetheless, because it is my truthful first reaction.
There's a lot more there, but I'll need to introspect & journal more personally before I can even begin to articulate the connecting thoughts that extend from this... like how women have no value *beyond* their ability to bear children, how glorified mothers already are in society, the moral & ethical ramifications of the biases that come from putting your child on a pedestal - which you noted is a byproduct of motherhood...
I want to also add though, that while the bulk of this post was difficult for me, the end resonated completely:
"It is hard to fathom why this - the building of the bodies, minds, and relationships of our species’ future - is not seen as the work of all work, the main point of civilisation. Can you imagine anything more important? Can you imagine what humanity might become, if such sacred work was our clear priority?"
I've long wondered about this and struggled with this dilemma. It seems counterintuitive and self-savotaging to society that we DON'T give more priority to children, childhood, education, childcare, etc.!
I've long worked with children (though the pandemic ended that), & often grappled with this illogical fact. It's never made sense to me how little society cares for its youngest members -- alas, many times even parents themselves don't fully appreciate the beauty & potential of childhood (even in their own children)! Maybe that's an American phenomenon, but it never ceases to amaze me how other people (& societies) treat children (their own & others).
Children *are* the future; our salvation or destruction will be largely in their hands, just as our actions now determine the legacy we leave for them to deal with.
-
I wanted to share these reflections, because they were so polar opposite each other. I felt so strongly against one part, but so completely in agreement with the other... which is an odd dichotomy!
I have no point to any of this, save to share my perspective. 🤷🏻♀️ Thank you for writing yours!