For the Mothers

I don't know if you've heard about the article in which a woman says that she actually "looks down on young women with husbands and kids and she's not sorry", but it's quite a read.
This is going to be long and possibly tedious, but this incited quite a few thoughts and emotions, and this is what came out of my fingertips.

First off, if feminism is about supporting a woman's decision - no matter what the decision - then why does this woman feel entitled to "look down" on women who have made a different choice than her? There's nothing wrong with having a career. There's nothing wrong with staying home with one's children. There's nothing wrong with doing both, if one can. What this woman is saying seems to stem from pure hate (and possibly a wee bit of jealousy).
Secondly, Glass says that women who choose to stay home with their children are "taking the path of least resistance", to which I say, "Excuse you! Have you ever babysat as a kid? Did you get paid for babysitting? Were those kids sometimes so precious you could hug them to death and then the next minute you wish you had? Did it take effort to calm them when they were upset? Was it emotionally draining to hold them when they cried? Were they easy to please? Were you tired by the time you left? Did you think you were underpaid for the work you did?" Mothers who choose to stay at home are not taking the path of least resistance. Staying at home with children (or even a child, singular) is TOUGH. It is thankless, dirty, emotional, draining, trying WORK. UNPAID WORK. And how dare she call it the "path of least resistance"? In this day and age, women are all but pushed into the maths and sciences (which is fine if that's what they want to do) but God forbid a woman choose to get married and have a family and stay home with her children -- they are seldom congratulated for their life choices. I'm fortunate enough to have understanding people in my life who - while they may think I'm wasting my mind - respect my desires. Most women who stay at home are ridiculed, called lazy, stupid, are told they're hampering their children, dragging down their husband, and are generally good for nothing.
Third, speaking of marriage and husbands, while I'm not married myself I've been around married couples for a long time. One of my closest friends is about to be married in May, and let me tell you something, Amy Glass: marriage is NOT easy. Marriage is a life-long commitment that a man and a woman make together before God that unites their lives. Everything becomes one, but because people are people, things don't want to become one. Marriage is the process of growing closer together. The purpose of marriage is not just sexual fulfillment. It is not just a merging of bank accounts. It is not just a tax deduction. It is not just an extra letter from "Ms." to "Mrs.". It is not just an excuse for a few parties leading up to huge party and a vacation. It is two people coming together to work together as a team and build each other up. And that is HARD. There are fights. There are idiosyncrasies that are annoying. There's everyday obstacles of life that the two of you generally have to agree how to deal with. Marriage is not easy. (Nor is the actual wedding -- trust me, I'm a Maid of Honor. It's insane.) But it's all worth it.
What I'm saying is that if you want a career and you feel called to that career, you can have it! Go for it! Really! If you want a career and a husband and a family, do just that! It's yours! If you want a husband and a family and you choose to stay home with those children, you go! It's just as much work - if not more so - than a career, because, unlike a job where you punch in, work, punch out, and get a paycheck, you're always on the clock as a mother, and you're never paid.
I understand that women used to be tread upon. That they had no legal standing in any way, shape, or form apart from a man. In understand that they deserve rights.
God sees men and women as equal.
That's what feminism claims to do, too.
If this is feminism - being forced into a life you may not want - isn't that as bad as what you were fighting against at the beginning?

But if this is feminism, I don't want it.