The Woes of the Working Women

It’s so easy for men to know who they are and what they want out of life. … I shouldn’t say “easy” that’s not fair. It’s so clear for men. They have one expectation on their gender and that is to provide financially for their family. Maybe cut the grass in the warmer months or shovel the driveway in the winter. That’s not to say some men don’t do more but that’s about the extent of their expectations. Their purpose in life, their contribution to their family, is to provide. And so when they do they get that feeling of fulfillment. 

As a result, women took the position of raising and caring for the children they grew and birthed. And by proxy they are then expected to care for everyone in the house, feeding them, making appointments, making sure they have clean clothes to wear and a clean environment in which to live. Because of that expectation we have grown to have that in us naturally. We have a desire to be nurturing. So each partner was following their desires and it worked. Everyone had a purpose and everyone felt fulfilled. 

Then society changed. Suddenly women needed to work to be able to keep up with the financial pressures thrown at families. And with the need to work came the desire to be something more outside of the home. But that didn’t erase the desire to nurture and the expectation care for their family. 

So now while men continue to have the one expectation and an innate desire to do so, women are torn with the expectations (and desires) to have a career and also care for their family. It was never meant to be that way. This is how we end up losing ourselves or never really getting to find ourselves in the first place. 

We all are driven by what we desire but when you desire two polar opposite purposes… where does that leave you?