American Matriarch

 

Barbara Bush was the first first lady to make much of an impression on my childhood self, so I was pleased when The Week asked me to write a tribute to her. As I was gathering details on her life, though, my thoughts kept returning to my own mother, Merina Smith, also known to many here at Ricochet. Like Bush, she left college at 19 to marry and start a family. She raised five children, but also went on to get a Ph.D., publish scholarly works of history, travel the world, keep a resplendent house and garden, become a pillar of her community, and more other accomplishments than I could possibly list.

I am not, in general, the sort of person who likes to scold young women for having educational or professional goals. But it’s certainly worth appreciating what rich and admirable lives some women have managed to live, embracing the role of the matron.

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  1. Duane Oyen Member
    Duane Oyen
    @DuaneOyen

    I agree- and pass on the same tribute to my Rubber Duckie, who married at 19, worked while I finished college, had our first baby a month after I graduated, went back to school one class at a time at age 32, graduated from college at 45 (while both of her kids were earning their PhDs), kept a clean house (I did some housecleaning as well, but I followed directions), made my dress suits, and ended up making $20k a year more than I did.  And, of course, now that I am too lazy to work any longer, she’s my sole financial support.

    Plenny good-lookin’ too.

    In other words, you can marry young, or marry older, what you do with yourself is up to you.  It helps to have a supportive husband (er, well, koff koff), but many people manage very impressive accomplishments even without that.

    • #1
  2. Rachel Lu Member
    Rachel Lu
    @RachelLu

    That does sound like my mother! She got her undergraduate degree over the course of about 15 years, taking a class at a time as motherhood allowed. Had a very strange transcript by the time she graduated, but hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! 

    • #2
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