Monday, August 19, 2013

Something to think about

I live in Northern Virginia. Because the capitol is so close we have people from all over the world here. My neighbors are legal, illegal, Christian, Muslim and Animist. It occurred to me the other day, that I've never heard a Hispanic woman or indeed, any foreign born or first generation in America woman talk badly about her children.  American women complain about their kids all the time. At work it sometimes, seems like a competition about who can complain the most and they even whine in front of the kids. 

 Every evening when it cools off I see Sudanese, Ethiopian and Indian mothers and sometimes fathers, taking their babies for an evening stroll around my building complex. I never see Americans doing this. I've seen Hispanic women walking down the street, women who have worked hard all day, carrying their children after picking them up from day care and those women look so happy. They're poor by our standards, they've got to be tired but they are bouncing their kids, smiling and kissing them. Foreign women, seem to be actually delighted with their children. My Ethiopian neighbors feel sorry for me because I've never been able to carry a pregnancy to full term. American  women, even those who call themselves Christian have called me lucky because I'm not burdened like they are. Does God smile on the American attitude? I think not.