This weekend my whole family celebrates my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. We are all very excited, especially because we almost lost my mother last year. People are coming from all over the planet and there is a festive atmosphere we are all enjoying. I am so grateful my parents chose to stay committed to each other despite their very serious differences. Today, I just read there are more single people in america than married people. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, our society often looks down on people who aren't in a relationship or unmarried. This seems strange to me since staying married seems unlikely in today's world. Are we asking too much of ourselves to stay with one person for 50, 60, 80 years? This is a good question to ask before you get married or choose to have children. Undoubtedly, children do better when both parents GET ALONG!!
Anyways, I am happy to be one of the few "children" on the planet whose parents are still married! and happy about it. Having said that, I want to share another happy occurrence in my life. This week, those of us in the class of 1990 at Columbia University's Journalism masters program started to connect. One person started the chain, then we all chimed in. It was so fabulous to just see everyone in digital photos. Most who responded have beautiful children and great careers. One of my friends at school now has two beautiful boys and has left her "career" behind and shared she was embarrassed to show up at the school reunions because she was no longer working. I smiled and told her I understood perfectly because I am embarrassed that I didn't have children! Then I laughed at how ridiculous we are, putting these expectations on ourselves. I am so proud of my friend, for she apparently is a great "soccer" mom and has even started her own business. Who cares if at one point she worked in a high powered television network, She's happy now and that's all that matters, at least that is how I feel about it.
She made me think about how we see ourselves and how we view success or failure in life. It was refreshing to hear someone struggling with the same issues that come up, especially for women. Do we women have to do it all, meaning career, husband, children? and if we don't are we ashamed? I say the key is that you know your authentic self. Unfortunately this usually takes a bit of suffering and bad choices, but hey, life was not meant to be fair or easy and we have it preety good here in the United States of America. I say live it up. Enjoy what you do and forget about what other people think. Find out what makes you happy and then go for it!
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