Friday, April 10, 2009

Goodbye to ALL

I was watching Celebrity Apprentice last week and found myself very saddened by something that a guest executive said. The challenge was for each team to create a viral video for the laundry detergent All. When asked what the target audience would be the All executive said "women over 25 years old with children." One of the contestants said, "OK, so the target audience is Moms?" And the frumpy, bitter, hotshot lady from All said "No. Women with children... not 'moms'." WHAT??
Not "moms"? What's so wrong with the target audience being a "mom"? I am a woman and I have children but GUESS WHAT... that's the very definition of "mom". "Women with children" seems so.... detached. It also seems redundant. If I say the word "woman" the only thing you know is that I am talking about a female but if I say the word "mom" then you know without a doubt that this female has children. Right? Are you guys feeling me?
I guess it would have been too offensive to the womens libbers out there to use such a heinous term as "mom" or "mother". Maybe she should have said "females who breed is the target audience" or "make the video with caregivers of offspring in mind" or "the target audience is people over 25 years old who have had previous occupants in their womb".
To me and many others that I know being a mother is not just something that we do... it's who we are. And it's not only who we are... it's what we love. I can't think of anything else I would rather be doing. Being a mother.. whether the child was born from your body or not... is the best calling a woman could be given. It's more fulfilling than any career. It brings more joy than an empty inbox and a pay raise. Climbing the stairs to peek in on my sleeping angels and kiss their warm cheeks is definitely more rewarding than climbing the ladder of success. Of course... this is all the opinion of a mere "mom"... so what would I know?
It's not as if I can't function unless I'm doing "motherly" things; like I'll completely shut down if there's no laundry to do, toys to pick up, or bread to bake. I date my husband once a week, I get pedicures, I have lunch dates with girlfriends, I go to the gym... things that other women do.
I can only assume that the frumpy, bitter, hotshot lady from All would be offended by the following images. It's all pretty random but it's the simple and small things like this that I find very gratifying.

Reef's assembly of toys under the kitchen table





Well stocked fridge and pantry after a shopping trip.




The boys using a centerpiece as their Tech Deck ramp.



Mercedes and Beau returning from a long day at school.


Women who are mothers find joy in very simple, everyday things. That is the magic of being a mom. Something I don't expect the frumpy, bitter, hotshot lady from All to ever, EVER understand. So now I will step down from my soapbox (no pun intended.) But before I do........


All, YOU'RE FIRED!!


2 comments:

Annette said...

Tiff, you are tugging at my heartstrings!!! I love this post! And Melinda's right...get ready to speak on Mother's Day ;-D.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm Julie. Nice to meet you! :)

Have you read this quote? "Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother." Lin Yutang said it and I think of it often.

I get so frustrated by women who try to shove motherhood aside as if it is beneath them. I read an article once that ridiculed motherhood so much it made my stomach hurt for days. (It was in a youth magazine, and basically said if you want to be a mother you are spineless, boring, and don't believe in womans rights.) I felt sorry for the author.

What I don't understand is, anybody can excel at work. Being awesome in your job is necessary, but it does not set you apart. What makes a woman truly unique is her ability to bring life to this world. To mother.

There is no replacement for a mother. None. And there is no greater honor than to be one. If only more woman would do a better job we would have a better society.

So, how's that for my first comment? Sheesh! You must have struck a chord with me. Glad to know we are on the same team! And of course, feel free to use anything from my post earlier.

So great to hear from you!