Wednesday May 5, 2004
Telecom's busiest day approacheth. Because I am a mother (small 'm', Mike) and had a mother just like everyone else, the subject of mothering has been on my mind. Well, she wasn't like everyone else's I am sure, but you know what I meant!
I have frequently been congratulated on raising two wonderful people. Heck, I've been thanked by folks I didn't even know after they learned my parental status. There are some humourous stories in this vein. Historically my response has been to thank these poor deluded folk and humbly assert that it wasn't my fault. Honest. Applause was not necessary. Stop embarrassing me.
I'm taking all that back today. Therapeutic insights have now combined with external evidence, large influences for me, to enable me to accept a crapload of credit for the success of this most rewarding life project.
The Canadian Psychiatric Association has recently published a report, Family Background and Genius, in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry that weighs in on the nurture side of the famous debate. I found it an interesting read as will my quietly famous son and incredibly talented daughter, I suspect.
So, to those of you who approached me at weddings, conferences, workplaces, restaurants and such to thank me for these gifts to the world: "You are very welcome!" Apparently the fact that I'd just 'done my job' doesn't make it insignificant after all. Nor does the fact that I had a lot of fun along the way.
I can't wait for these guys to research (and bring down, of course) the myths concerning so-called "broken" homes. Such as: children raised in single-parent families are less successful and should not be expected to achieve much in school compared to their doubly-parented peers. I am unable to come up with a reasonable explanation as to the persistence of such ridiculous ideas.
It is my firm belief, based on my personal experience that homes are a lot like bones: once healed they are much stronger than before the "break". Time will tell.
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