Giving Thought to Amazing Creatures

A bit of advice for women who want to raise babies.
When you decide to raise a child, often you become that and only that to other people. A woman who raises a child. Not that it isn't extremely important to make and raise a monster. It is important. But it is also important to be valued as a woman too. As a writer. As a poet. As a teacher. Painter. Whatever.
Once in a while someone important comes along and realizes that even though you may stay at home with the baby, you have a crucial amount of intellegence and creativity that leads your child into knowing what they know or becoming who they are.
It almost seems unfathomable that someone might look at you and ask you how you are. They may tell you that you are beautiful. They may ask you if you want to go get a drink. And then, hypothetically, of course, you start crying because you feel like someone values you again. The same way you were valued before you were a mother.
Before having my son I wasn't oblivious that this lack of appreciation happens to women all the time, but I was in serious denial. I didn't think so many people would participate. But they do. Be the one who doesn't. Women are women first. And then we are mothers too. And pretty amazing ones, competent ones, at that.