Happy Mother's Day

I had lunch with a friend today who spoke about her brother in law engaging a team of four to assist in looking after his baby daughter while his wife was out for the evening. It's laughable isn't it? Proving a point entirely that women in the main just get on with life and the raising of families. It's all done with little fanfare and certainly no expectation of praise or gratitude.

It made me think of several female politicians I know who juggle about 10 balls in the air at any given time. Raising their children, attending parents night, up all night sewing costumes for World Book Day after just doing a 15 hour day and travel in parliament on some heavy duty policy announcement.

There's no leeway for their early start in the morning for a day of constituency engagements, no leeway from their husband who expects his life to be unchanged, who moans at all the changes to his life (but does nothing to help) yet happily partakes in the benefits of the extra income. There is certainly no leeway from their colleagues, male and female who find it appropriate to tell them how 'tired' they look, then there's the constituents who never say anything unless its negative, the opponents always looking for a way to trip them up and their friends who let them know just how infrequently they see them.

This doesn't even make inroads towards the feelings of guilt as the little munchkin waves them goodbye at the door yet again as the parting words by the someone else raising them in their absence stabs 'mummy has to go to work'. But no time for that as the blackberry goes off with their 25 year old male assistant on the other end telling them they're late!

Happy Mother's Day indeed!!