We have all heard the old saying that “men work from sun to sun, but a woman’s work is never done”. I think this is why we women cry at weddings–we know what the poor bride is in for, and it isn’t a life of bonbons and champagne.
The flap in the media this week has been over what some liberal observed about Mrs. Romney in that Mrs. R had never worked a day in her life and that she would have no idea about economics. How absurd! I feel sure that Mrs. Romney made daily decisions about how her household was run, even if she had nannies and servants. Somebody has to be in charge, and it certainly is not the man of the house (in general, that is). And she raised five (5) boys! I’ll bet that she was in charge of buying all of the gifts at Christmas and for birthdays. Raise your hand if you have ever been sitting around the Christmas tree and had your husband whisper, “Did we get my mother anything?”
Mothers work all of the time. Why, even when they are sleeping, mothers have one ear open to hear the softest cough or sneeze from their offspring. Men are just not born with that gene.
I dabble in genealogy and I have studied the history of activities that women have done over the last few centuries. In the “old days”, women were expected to do some type of decorative stitchery, to play an instrument or sing, to do household accounting, to direct the “help”, to cater to their husband’s every need, and to be the perfect and loving mother. And if the woman was not in a household that had servants, then SHE was the one who did all of the cooking, cleaning, educating of children (usually 10-14 of them), and the catering to the husband’s every need. She was also to lead by example in religion, and to attend church regularly.
A lot is still expected of mothers, whether they are stay-at-home moms or out in the workplace. Women have come a long way in being treated equally (remember that it was only about 90 years ago that we were given the right to vote, for heaven’s sake), but apparently we still have a few more people to educate about just exactly what “women’s work” is. And isn’t it ironic that the criticism of Mrs. Romney came from a woman?
Let’s all pull together, girls. WE are not the enemy.
lifesabutterbean 
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