Have you heard the Clean Bandit song “Rockabye”?
It’s about a single mother who has to strip (all the better for the video) to take care of her baby. And she is determined to take care of him.
No one’s ever gonna hurt you, love
I’m gonna give you all of my love
Nobody matters like you
Yes, yes. I know you all have that same determination in your hearts, to care for your children with all you’ve got.
And isn’t it fantastic that you make enough careful choices in your life that stripping isn’t your only option.
I honor that fictional woman in the song, doing what she must. And I with even greater respect, I honor my pregnant professional tribe here.
You thought it through. You piled up education, credentials and experience. You have a whole brain and a driving ambition to be more than merely a survivor.
For myself, I resisted motherhood until I had a secure spot to launch from. I knew it would be tough (what little I knew!), and I knew that I needed a solid solid ground to take care of myself as well as a little child.
I knew I wanted to work. I knew I had something to share with the world, and although motherhood was part of it, it would not be enough.
Like that phrase:
necessary but not sufficient.
We have ambitions to feed as well as tiny mouths.
Mad respect, my pregnant professionals.
Martyrdom is not required. We need empresses of our domains.