It has not escaped my attention that my recent transition from seeming emotional stability to my new status as a wreck is happening at the age of 40. It seems almost too classic to be coincidental, right? Midlife crisis, meet RevMommy. She’s ripe for the picking.
So I find myself faced with both the opportunity to do something new, go into uncharted water–a good thing. And a bout of severe depression that often prevents me from doing anything at all beyond rolling over and going back to sleep–this is not so good. Part of me wants to face the second half of life with enthusiasm and excitement. I like to think this is the real me. Another part of me is feeling at sea because for the first time in my life, I’m not defined by my job. This is my scared part. Really, really scared.
We live in a culture in which we are defined by what we do for a living. When you meet someone for the first time, most people ask “What do you do?” They don’t mean knitting, or collecting comics, they want to know where you work. Flash has faced this disability for many years as a Stay-At-Home-Dad. Only in the last few years has SAHD even become a thing, one that you can admit to. (An aside about Flash: He’s an awesome dad, as shown by the way he spent his afternoon coaxing our terrified and resistant son into having his blood drawn. Flash not only spent 45 minutes trying to calm a hysterical child with Asperger’s, but even had them draw his own blood just to show it was safe. He so rocks.) I love to shake up personal introductions by asking questions like “What is your favorite book?” or “Where did you grow up?”, if not “What is your first memory of being in a kitchen?” That’s a great one.
In my case, I’ve been in a pastoral role my entire adult life. I went to seminary right out of college at the age of 21, worked as a youth director, was a missionary, and was ordained and in a church at 25. I remember one elderly lady in the first church I served asking my age, then replying, “Honey, I’ve got shoes older than you.” So while I may not have grown up in the church, I have certainly become the woman I am in the church. Being a pastor never stops. People I don’t know often want to tell me how horrible religion is, or contrariwise they suddenly stop saying fuck and act as if I’m going to slap them with a ruler. Or they just close down and move out of the conversation. On the other hand, there are the folks that jump right in to theology, or the story of their personal crisis, or ask me to pray. Once the words, “I’m a pastor” are out of my mouth, I become a stand-in for their entire personal relationship with God, however bad or good that has been. And after a while, I started to see myself that way as well. Who I was was what I did.
Tonight I met with an old friend (old, in the sense that now she’s an adult woman in her late 20s and I remember her at age 13 in church youth group) to talk about my exploring the possibility of my becoming a doula. A doula, if you are not a parent or became a parent before they became popular, is a childbirth attendant. A woman who professionally supports the woman in labor, as opposed to a midwife whose focus is on the baby.
We met in a totally cool coffeehouse, so cool that it is definitely not near where I live. Funky couches, art, nothing matching or blah–we sat on a bright green Victorian style couch. The customers were all young, hip, and busily working on their laptops. I want to live there.
Anyhow, my friend is not only a doula, she’s currently expecting her first baby. I’m a total childbirth geek, I loved being pregnant and being in labor, and using a doula was a big part of that. I have oodles of experience in hospitals, and it would be nice to be there to celebrate the beginning of life rather than my usual role. Don’t get all excited, I’m honestly just trying it on for size. I don’t really know which way God is calling me right now, but it feels odd to even think about taking off my virtual “I’m A Pastor–Tell Me Your Problems” button. In a way it could be so refreshing.
So the “Rev” part of “RevMommy” has suddenly become nebulous. However, as Mothers’ Day reminded me, the “Mommy” part is still right on target. If I define myself by anything, it is being a Mom. One thing I know I want is to continue to have the family oriented and centered lifestyle that we do. I want to spend as much time as possible, do as much as possible, with my children before they move up and out. I’m not satisfied with a couple of hours a day of interaction with my biological offspring. I want to be part of raising them. Not a helicopter mom, hovering overhead; not a Tiger mom, demanding perfection: I want to be a cheetah mom, protecting them when they are helpless, teaching them to hunt by my side as they grow, then letting them go knowing I gave them myself 100%. Hence homeschooling. Scheduling my work life so that I can do as much as I can during their sleeping hours. Spending my free time playing board games and going on family field trips and watching family movies. Living a child-centered life in a culture that really rejects that sort of thinking. Being a mom is my rock right now.
Belated happy Mothers’ Day to all you moms out there. It really is the best part of my life. And while I’m still trying to decide what I want to do when I grow up, for now I’m happy just being a mom.
Thanks for sharing your journey. It takes a lot of courage to stand up and walk away from the golden handcuffs!
Your journey is necessary: Embrace it, learn from it and make it good. *OWN* your geekdom! (Trust me, I need to hear these words myself.) Sometimes we listen to the small still voice of God, other times it takes a 2×4 whacked repeatedly across the head! I’m sorry that you’re dealing with the 2×4’s right now…
Know that you are loved for being you. Know that we are astounded by your steadfastness, that you make us smile with your humor and good-naturedness, and that you make us proud to be fellow geeks. Know that you have friends that will help you move bodies if you ask us to. 🙂