Member-only story
I Despise Fitting That Stereotype-and that my child fits one, too
I just realized last night that I fit a stereotype. I never thought I would, as my life has tended to be the antithesis of what most people would want for themselves. My taste is a little snobby, culturally speaking. I don’t enjoy much of pop culture, I don’t follow politics, or shop for therapy. I raised my kids in the country, homeschooled, was Mormon, responsible, hard-working, and yet…I fit one. And my ex made it possible.
My son is in the US Army. I am an incredibly Proud Army Mom. I don’t agree with what he is doing necessarily. I am primarily a peace-loving and peace-seeking person. But he sees his job as making mine possible. I honor that. He sees it this way: we work together-in different spheres-to make the world a safer and more beautiful place.
Each time I talk to him, it becomes more and more apparent that the armed services are full of men who came from broken homes-to use a term I truly hate. These are homes with only one parent, often with overly attentive moms and absent fathers. Those moms are usually not just overly attentive, but perhaps a little neurotic. They are quirky and have significant trauma triggers. They, at one point, were left alone to deal with all of the stresses of life, raise children, and survive, somehow.
