Saturday, August 2, 2008

My Fleeting Kennedy Ideal

As I do most early mornings, I get up before everyone else and enjoy a cup of coffee.  Often I watch something tivo'd with Nutmeg on my lap.  I have Oprah on our record schedule but delete her shows 95% of the time after reading the subject info.  Just get frustrated with her, but occasionally there's a famous person on her show and on those shows (for the most part) Oprah keeps her 'new age' opinions to herself.  

I caught yesterday's re-running of Maria Shriver.  I've always loved the classic Kennedy ideal.  In my head they were a big family of hard-working, faithful Catholics who were pushing for the rights of the common man.  Okay, this was what I thought in 5th grade when I wrote a report on Jacqueline Kennedy (the cover of which my Mom completely changed after I went to bed - but that is another story for another day).   In my mind that 5th grade ideal has stuck a little...maybe even when it shouldn't have. 

So, Im a little interested in what Maria has to say.  She has a new book out, Just Who Will You Be?  They talk about how in October of '97 at a Woman's Conf. in CA she let it out that she was LOST.  Her role as First Lady of CA led her to become a person looking to fulfill what other's needed her to be.  She then realized this had been happening since she was a kid.  I started to cry thinking of how hard this must be for....for poor little rich girl, with a powerful husband, four beautiful healthy children, who's had a national career on television, parents who have loved her, a national platform on which to stand whenever she had something to say, great hair, great teeth (okay I'm going to stop there and I didn't cry).  

Is she watching too many Oprah's shows?  Too much of - you have the power to be anything you dream to be, just leave all your responsibilities behind and think only about yourself?  I may sit down and tally how many times I heard her say 'I' or 'me' in that conversation. (Okay, maybe that would be a waste of my time.)  Not once did I hear anything about her husband except to refer to how she had to give it all up for him when he became Governor.  ...two become one?...love and honor?...married in St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church?

What about your faith Maria?  What about what God created you for?  In all fairness, maybe she has examined that but there was no mention of it and she's going to lead many, many women to examine how unhappy they are in their role as wife and mother.  She will keep searching and feeling LOST but the publicity from the book and the pat on the back from Oprah followers will disguise it for awhile.

We do have to be who we are, who God made us to be.  If He has given us a good husband and the blessing of children, then it's a good chance He wants us to be the person He made us to be and love them.  That doesn't make us less of the person we were meant to be?  True yes, many are called to do more outside this primary role.  ...but this primary role doesn't get in the way, it enhances the person we are.  What I'm trying to get out is that Maria shouldn't consider herself LOST in the role as First Lady standing beside her husband.  The humility just may make her a better person, the one she was truly meant to be.  

3 comments:

Lisa said...

Isn't there a famous saying that says something like the more that your given, the more that is expected out of you. When you compare her to Irena Sendler or some of these amazing women bloggers, she doesn't really compare. And isn't that sad? I think Caroline is the last hope!

Trudy said...

...but Caroline has spoken for "a woman's right to choose." She is not prolife. Maybe Arnold?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps Camelot has crumbled?
...and why shouldn't it if its not based in Faith? I haven't seen too much orthodoxy in that family since Bobby. It is a shame that they don't take advantage of the opportunity to ....learn and love their Faith, and stand up for it. But as for all, we must pray for them. Many have learned from grace later in their lives.