1977
An Open Letter To Another Canadian Mother
Dear Canadian Mother,
Yesterday I tweeted something like, “I wonder how many waiters serve a pregnant Victoria Beckham and think to themselves ‘Eating for one are we?’”
But I erased it because it was brought to my attention that Joan Rivers already said “Congratulations to Victoria Beckham, who’s pregnant with her fourth child! She’s finally eating for one.”
You then sent me many, many messages on Twitter which said, and I paraphrase:
This isn’t funny. I hope your children grow up with a good sense of body image. What you say and do as a parent is what your children learn
Let me break this down for you Canadian Mother:
1. I didn’t sit my children down and explain this tweet to them. This wasn’t for them. I would never in a million years say this to them.
2. I teach by example (see: how I treat others on a daily basis and how I speak to and of others)
3. I can separate my writing, from my mothering.
According to your logic, your children see and learn from EVERYTHING you do.
Do they see how you have sex? Do they hear everything you say to your friends? Is nothing out of earshot?
You are the reason that mothers feel as though they cannot be themselves. Why women who aren’t mothers question their ability to raise a child and fear losing themselves. Why women can’t be politically incorrect funny.
That any ounce of personality must be squashed in order to raise ‘good’ and ‘proper’ and ‘kind’ children. That’s bullshit.
Women can remain themselves and hold their parenting to a higher esteem.
Yes, I just said I’m a better mother than I am ‘my regular self’, I am proud of that.
You say: ‘seeing as how you have your backup over this, then my assumptions of you are probably correct.’
I say: It must be a very comfortable and reassuring existence you live, one in which everything you jump to a conclusion upon IS PROBABLY CORRECT…
The world must be a very awful place for you if you believe a joke about Victoria Beckham being thin makes someone a horrible human being who has no compassion for eating disorders.
And if by some reason your logic is true, and every single thing seeps from you to your child?
I hope your children live happy lives being humorless, judgmental and stifled as they roam the internet leaving random faultfinding comments for strangers.
And yes, I blocked you.
K
