Awake Not “Woke”!

By Kathy Hatch

Not every woman aspires to be a mother. But I did. My babydoll game while growing up was one that I, as a five-year-old took very seriously. It is no accident that little girls love to play with baby dolls. I think that instinctually we want to be well prepared to care for our young. I loved practicing motherhood as a child. It was so simple and sweet back then. As a five-year-old, babydoll mommying is completely devoid of worry and doubt. As a little girl, you never think that you are diapering or dressing your baby doll incorrectly. You just believe that you are a perfect mom and that your baby doll is just as perfect as you are.

Make-believe was so much fun!

I watched as my granddaughter gently and lovingly took care of her baby doll much like I remember myself as a child. With confidence, she wrapped her ‘baby’ in a towel and swaddled her for ‘comfort’. She does this with all the love and confidence of a very good mom! She was so happy she smiled the entire time. She picked up her ‘baby’ so delicately in her arms and told me, “Baby is sleeping”. She then walked away to lay her doll down while singing to her a lullaby for the slumber. Completely satisfied she turned, walked away with a look on her face as if to say, ‘job well done!’ I then said to her “Job well done”. She was in her very own world. A simple uncomplicated world. Where good is really good! And bad is kept at bay. At that moment she was immune to the anxieties of the life she’ll eventually come to know as real motherhood.  The satisfaction of being a good mom put a twinkle in her eye and a satisfied pep to her tiny step. She turned up her fresh button nose in a way that only confident mothers can do.  She must think of herself much as her grandma(me) did at her age. ‘I’m a good mommy!’, ‘It’s so easy! Piece of cake!’ I fondly remember thinking that to myself as a little mom-to-be. I wished that I had a rope so that  I could have lassoed that moment for her. To keep it, save it, hold on to that moment for later use! She’ll need it someday. I promise she will. All mothers do.

When I grew up, married, and gave birth to my first child I was filled with anxiety! What would I do? Was I ready? Will I be a good mom? Can I keep a child alive for at least 18 years! After all, all of my indoor plants have always died! Every one of them.  The world had jaded this woman’s thoughts about her abilities in the motherhood department. But I had no choice but to forge ahead. I got it done to the best of my ability. I will never forget the angst, self-doubt, and trepidations that I experienced daily. That too is natural and normal. Every mother that I know understands that now. I developed a new and more profound respect for my own mom. I probably should have been bowing to my mom all along and throwing flower petals at her feet. There were five of us growing up. It is a wonder that she didn’t develop a nervous twitch. Amazing really! My mom was a domestic saint! I think I’ll make her birthday a feast day in my home from now on. St. Betty! God bless my mom! RIP Mom!

I’m much older now with grandchildren. They are giving me a run for my money. There’s obviously a reason that God grants us, children when we are young enough to chase them and keep them safe. My aching knees and back remind me of that reason. My grandchildren are remarkable human beings in their own right. I treasure keeping an eye on their development and interests. The work of grandma-ing is minuscule compared to actual motherhood though! My worries are much different now. I think about the world that they are growing up IN and not so much the globe they are growing up ON. I didn’t have too much time to think about these greater things when mine were so young. You see, my children outnumbered my husband and me. Four of them and two of us.

But even back in the day when they were all so very little, I began developing a perineal view of something not so right going on around me in the world and society. In time, that morphed into a distaste for the new public discourse about the raising of small children. It appeared that many young people were then and are now treating the raising, nurturing, and development of their children as though it were some kind of social, albeit scientific, experiment! I began to see many trends that I did not like. Maniacal trends like allowing one’s child to pick his or her gender! I didn’t allow my children to pick what was for dinner!  Hell! I didn’t allow them to pick their nose either! I chose what was best for them. I also chose what was and wasn’t acceptable behavior.  I was the adult and they were…well, CHILDREN! The very idea is absurd! Mad scientist-themed absurdity at best! Since when was it ever considered a good idea to raise a child as some sort of experiment? Experiments can have explosive consequences. This experiment does not end well. One cannot undo one’s childhood good or bad. It is one thing for a child to play make-believe, but it is a majorly different thing to indulge them in their imaginations with chemical drugs. Sometimes irreversible surgical mutilation. The damages will be irreparable I assure you. These poor children of celebrities, who think it’s cool to entertain their childrens’ fantasies, will pay a heavy price for their parents’ “wokeness”.

Young mothers today have my sympathy but not my pity. Most have been enculturated into a liberal mindset without even knowing it. (Liberal teaching en masse) They are in effect wading in the waters of the fabled slow boiling frog. The frog knows that the atmosphere is somewhat problematic. But it’s just so darn comfortable!  The warm water is easy on those tired muscles. Some moms today are doing what is easy on the muscles including their mental and spiritual ones. They have succumbed to the evil trends of today’s ever-changing moral whims. Eventually, the pot will begin to boil but by then the damage to their children will have already been done. Too late then to jump out of that pot of soul-sucking hot boiling water. Acquiescing to the prevailing yet decaying culture was not the only option. It was however the convenient one. One that would solidify their wokeness to their peers. We don’t run in the same circles.

Some moms today do buck the trends of today’s crazy norms. They’d rather be awake than “woke”. They can see that the pot is hot and it just might get hotter (soon) and so they step back… and think! (What a novel idea) They look at the history of the dreaded water-filled pot.  These moms read, research, examine and sometimes write about the boiling pot and how it affects their children. They try to warn others. Those with ears to hear listen. 

My heart goes out to all mothers but particularly those strong, thinking mothers. When you meet them you soon realize that they are a formidable force. They are a mighty breed with a biblical creed. These moms come at motherhood with power and intention. Enough to lift automobiles and move mountains. They come with faith.  Strengthened by God Himself in their daily grind of being the best wife and the best mother they can be. Today’s special guest is one such woman. Lissette Carter is an author, real estate investment consultant, and host of  The Rookie AmeRican Podcast show. KathysRight is proud to welcome Lissette Carter! 

Lissette Carter is a 2X Author, Public Speaker, Host of Rookie AmeRican Podcast on *Itunes *Spotify.

Yep!! We talk about it!

God bless all of you! And God bless America! My heart goes out to all mothers but particularly those strong, thinking mothers. When you meet them you soon realize that they are a formidable force. They are a mighty breed with a biblical creed. These moms come at motherhood with power and intention. Enough to lift automobiles and move mountains. They come with faith. Lissette Carter is a 2X published author, real estate investment consultant, and host of  The Rookie AmeRican Podcast show. KathysRight is proud to welcome Lissette Carter! 

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