Over the years my heroines have included the likes of Queen Elizabeth I, Abigail Adams, and Tasha Tudor. Each of these women demonstrated (at least in my mind) amazing strength and courage while traveling the often difficult paths of their lives. The inspiration I find from these women is paramount and as such it is not often I consider adding another name to the list. Today I did just that.
Jessica Stilwell.
For those of you unfamiliar with the name (as I confess I was up until yesterday) please do check out her
blog but be sure to read it from the very beginning. And get ready to laugh. She may not currently rule a nation, assist a revolution, or use her creative talents to foster a world of her own but she certainly speaks to the trials and tribulations of motherhood.
The long days of driving, homework, endless meal preparation, dirty dishes, pre-teens, teens, messy rooms, sibling rivalry, and laundry. Oh the dirty laundry.....she airs it all and in doing so relieves so many of us mothers out there that we are not alone in this. And as if the public admission of her family's faux pas in the housekeeping department weren't enough to earn her an award of bravery, her willingness to go on strike within the walls of her home certainly should.
It's a fantasy I'm sure more than a few mothers have contemplated. I know I have. To actually follow through on such a stunt however would take nerves of steel. The backlash from family members would be tremendous no doubt but far worse would be having to wallow in the rising filth for who knows how long.
Case in point.....
Child # 3 missed the bus this morning. Upon returning home from his barely on time delivery to the school I entered into this.
A pile of laundry on the table why? Well the size 0 pair of jeggings and the "PINK" sweatshirt co-mingled in the dryer tell me that teen #2 did it.
A brown stained napkin held firmly in place by the kitchen stool? Look no further than the ground spattered coffee pot across the way to surmise teen #1 had a hand in spilling it.
The pink hairdryer on the counter? Left I know for a fact by child #3 when his daily hair manipulation made him late for that bus.
Remnants from breakfast and midnight snacks, scrapings from the bottom of back backs, a chewed piece of gum? Your guess is as good as mine!
Having read Stilwell's blog from beginning to end last night my first thought was to go on strike myself. I even went so far as to put the kettle on for a cuppa and select a magazine to cozy up with. I'd sit down and relax a bit before I headed up to work in the nook. But Stilwell is a far stronger woman than I apparently, for before the water had even come to a boil I caved. Who was I kidding? I could not function in this. The gloves came out and I had at those dishes.
By the time I headed out to pick up my sweet little darlings all was set right, at least as far as appearances go. I do so hope Jennifer Stilwell continues on with her blog as I've got a lot to learn and she just might be the one to inspire that process.
