Best Book Review

I am currently engrossed in one of the most inspiring books I’ve read in awhile, Fearless by Arianna Huffington. This book is about women being fearless in their everyday lives. Arianna Huffington addresses how women are both perceived and how they react in the workplace, at home and in public. She does a great job describing our fears as women in aging, parenting, being strong, in death, and in love. I’ve really been taking my time reading this book as their is a lot of thought and discussion opportunities that stem from it.

I think a lot of fears that women have stem from the disapproval from each other in this sisterhood.

Women can’t be afraid of being strong and going after our goals in the workplace and in life. One thing that I’ve noticed as a woman, is the disapproval that women of a previous generation have in a mother returning to work after giving birth. As if being a stay at home mom is the only job for a woman. As if a woman has to give up her identity of herself and dreams as soon as she gives birth. Talk of kids in daycare and being formula fed are met with disapproving nods and understanding, like these children are severely disadvantaged in the world, or the mother didn’t “try hard enough” to breastfeed.

I know plenty of women who have given birth, put their children in childcare, and went back to work to pursue their own interests and goals. Those children are just as much loved and well-brought up as those who have stay at home moms. I had to cringe when I heard someone describe a child’s delay in talking as “oh you know, he’s in daycare, so I’m not surprised.” Ewww! Get off your high horse.

Shouldn’t women stand together in a sisterhood instead of throwing each other under the bus every chance they get? There should not be two teams pitted against each other boasting “my way is better.” Until women can meet and support each other in the decision to be a stay at home mom or a mom returning to work, then we as a gender will continue to hold ourselves back.