To the Ladies

My uncle walking with his son!










Lady Mary Chudleigh writes a testament, To The Ladies, telling women to "value [themselves], and men despise: You must be proud, if you'll be wise," meaning women should reject marriage if they value themselves.  She was a very intellectual woman, but was bitter because she was married at seventeen-years-old and lived in the countryside raising three children for the rest of her life.  One day I hope to be married and have children of my own once I am in my late twenties and have started my career.  We spoke in class about how women have to sacrifice career for family, but men can have both, and I agree with this to some extent.  Primarily, it is women who opt to care for their children in their infant years, but more and more these days, men are taking paternity leave so they can be the caregivers to their babies, which I think is amazing.  It takes two to tango, so I believe it should take both the mother and father to look after their young baby, as well.  After a baby has reached toddler years and is able to start playschool or preschool, I don't find anything wrong with a mother working, at least part time, or a home-based business would suffice.  I think women have fallen into the role of stay-at-home mother, which I am all for if that's what a woman chooses, but I like the changing times where there are now stay-at-home fathers, too!  It makes me happy when I see a father pushing a stroller down the street with his children riding along; proving that he's helping with the child-raising, as well, and it's not entirely left up to the mother these days!