Friday, September 06, 2013

{learned things}

I always wanted to be a writer.

(Except when I wanted to be a librarian because I thought the job description was: read all the books in the library so you know what they're all about. In case someone asks. Also, know the Dewey Decimal System.)

The only thing that ever changed throughout the years was what kind of writer I'd be. There was the Nancy Drew phase, where I wanted to write about mysteries and teenaged heroines who got kidnapped every other week. There was the travel brochure phase, where I realized that the people writing the travel brochures probably got to travel to the places they were writing about. Then there was a romance phase and a journalist phase and a biography phase and a comic book phase and a music/interview phase and even a choose-your-own-adventure novel phase, among others.

The options! Were! Endless! Every time I read something -- a children's book, a magazine, the back of a cereal box -- I realized that these were someone's words that someone else had deemed worthy to put into print in whatever form that might take. The ultimate honour.

I told this to a friend at summer camp one year. She looked shocked. "That's, like, eternal English class."

I nodded excitedly. "Exactly."

She shrugged. "When I grow up, I'm going to be a full-time mom."

And I shrugged back. "Of course," I said. "I'll be a mom too." Because that was always kind of a given in my world. Girls were moms. Moms and maybe something else, if you wanted. Probably not, like, an astronaut or anything, though.

Fast-forward through the next ten years or so and there I was, at 25, wondering if I might not be a mom after all. Not that I didn't have time left, just that we'd done all we could medically and our specialist had said, "You're infertile and I don't know why," and our only remaining option (from a financial and emotional perspective) was "wait and see."

It was a weird shift for me. Like I was suddenly on the ceiling, upside down, and everyone else in the world was still standing on the floor.

Then the people around me seemed to start having kids all at once. Like there had been a meeting about it. And then, because it's what happens, the baby showers started. I don't mind baby showers. I don't like that one game where you have to eat the baby food and guess what kind it is, but baby showers in and of themselves are nice, I think. Balloons! Food!

But at the baby showers, I'd inevitably get cornered by someone I didn't normally talk to, who didn't know me very well. I'd be downing pink cake by the handful and she'd pat her newborn's butt or rub her own expanding belly and say something like but not necessarily, "You don't know what you're missing out on. My life didn't begin until I had a baby." Or she'd sigh deeply and philosophically and say "I didn't know what love was until I became a mother." Or she'd laugh, "You have no idea how selfish you are until you become a mother!" And on, and on.

And not just at baby showers. Facebook, real life, blogs, wherever. A lot of women love to talk about how the act of bearing a baby makes you stronger, how childbirth pushes you to inhuman limits, how motherhood makes you softer and more loving, how it cements your relationship with your husband, how it changes you and grows you and shapes you.

(And I'm sure it's all true! And I'm sure these sweet ladies meant well. It felt more like they were trying to recruit me than make me feel inferior.)

But hearing all of this made me worry. I'd spent my whole life believing that part of my job as a woman was to have a baby, and, I guess, that that act would take me to the Next Level as a human being. This might sound absolutely ridiculous to you, but in my mind, 'infertility' equalled 'stunted growth'. Emotionally, spiritually, physically, mentally. Like the doctor was saying, "Well, you're doomed to be exactly as immature and selfish as you are right now and your marriage won't be as amazing as it could be because you don't even know what love is and you're going to miss out on approximately 3/4 of the average woman's life experience." Like I could never be a whole, complete person. Like I got stopped at the gate for no apparent reason and had to watch everyone else board the plane and fly away.

I was saying yesterday to Barclay how the taste of infertility that we got (because I know, I know it was only a tiny taste compared to what many have to go through) is probably one of the experiences I'm most thankful for in my whole life. Because [a while] after my dramatic perspective shift, after the part where I laid down on the ceiling and cried my eyes out, I began to realize that personal growth, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally, isn't something passive that happens to you as a result of an event or an experience or a life stage. It's something you have to work at, and something that you can and should work at no matter what stage in life you're at.
And that there are a lot of beautiful, strong, selfless, amazing women who have made a massive difference in my life and in the lives of others who are not mothers to the people they're loving and building into. That I need to keep my eyes open for opportunities to build into others and to love others really, really well, like they do.

And that I have intrinsic value beyond what I have or haven't done or experienced in this life.

And that we aren't all given the identical life path to walk, and that that's actually a good thing. Some of us will be moms, and some of us will be single, and some of us will be married, and some of us will be writers, and some of us will be astronauts.

And it's not about us anyway.

And as a result, this past year has been so full and good and fun and rich and stretching and challenging and growing. I've been travelling and trying hard new things and meeting new people and building relationships and keeping my eyes open and learning.

And in May, when we found out that it was finally our turn to experience the parenting thing, I found that my whole outlook on it had changed. I wasn't looking to motherhood to fulfill me as a person, or to make my marriage better or my life more beautiful or whatever. I'm crazy thankful for it, but it's not The Thing. I want to keep growing and learning in other areas. I want to keep enjoying new music and new experiences and new places.

I want to keep my eyes open.

I still want to be a writer.

23 comments:

Caitlin said...

This is beautifully written, as always Suzy. It's so interesting how fraught the decision/ability to have kids is in our society.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think it is obvious that you are a writer. Without question. You write from the heart. You also write from a place of wisdom that is rare. Please continue to write. Write on the walls, in blogs, on the back of cereal boxes and even upside down on the ceiling.

Corrie said...

Every time I read your blog I learn something new. Whether it's about cool new music to listen to (my itunes library has grown immensely over the past year), how much work goes into the Juno awards, finding out who Jian Ghomeshi is, how amazing and rewarding it is to travel, or simply new life lessons. I always learn something, and for that, I thank you :)

Sarah Rooftops said...

Ah, Suzy, this is perfect (and massive congratulations, by the way! I've been out of the loop!).

I feel lucky to have known I was probably infertile from about 13 so I was able to ditch my "must be a mother" ideas very early on, but it's hard to explain the good sides to somebody who hasn't had to shift their perspective like that - you've put it into just the right words.

Suzy Krause said...

Aw, thanks Caitlin.

And yes, it's SO interesting to me. It's also so interesting to me how so many women are completely unaware of this side of things. In a lot of groups, it's just a given that everyone will marry and have kids. Which sucks for those who can't/don't want to.

Suzy Krause said...

This is probably the nicest anonymous comment I've ever gotten--I wish I knew who you were! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Suzy Krause said...

Thanks so much Corrie. I love the blog world for its open exchange of ideas and experiences, and feel so blessed to be a part of it. :) Thanks for your sweet comment.

Suzy Krause said...

Haha, thanks Sarah! I feel like I've been out of the blog loop this summer too. I've still been faithfully reading your blog, just sucking at commenting. :)

It is a really hard thing to explain (and to work through yourself). It's something no one seems to talk about very much... Have you written about your journey with it before? I'd be interested to know how you arrived at the place you're at.

Niken said...

Suzy, this is really touching to read. genuinely put. my perspective about motherhood has developed too upon the years. i'm not married yet and i don't plan to have baby yet anytime soon, but i grew up with a strong mother figure and my mother has a very important role in my life. thank you for sharing your story and your thoughts.

Emily V. said...

Suzy, you are amazing!! I think every time I read your blog I come away with a desire to improve myself and to see things from your perspective because it is such a beautiful and unique one. I am so grateful for you and your musings on life. Whether big, monumental events or smaller, abstract moments. You are without a doubt one of my favorite writers! ;)

Suzy Krause said...

Thanks so much Niken! :)

Suzy Krause said...

Oh garsh. Thanks lots Emily. That means a lot!

Dad said...

Dear Suzy, Your Mom and I are so proud of you! To see how you're faith in God has remained strong and even strengthened in spite of the disappointments that come your way, shows that you "have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" and that this "secret" is the key to true happiness and fulfillment. We can't wait to meet and hold our new grandbaby! Love you!

Dad

Dad said...

P.S. Love your writing!

Suzy Krause said...

Thanks Dad. :) Love you!

Unknown said...

Loved reading this, Suzy. Very beautifully written! I don't understand the "infertility" thing since I'm not in that time of my life yet, but, who's to say it won't happen? Or I could get a surprise pregnancy. It's also so true, we are not the measure of what we "succeed" at in life, and the fact remains that we can't predict what life's going to throw at us, like how I expected to be married by the time I was 21 (yup, uh huh, lol.. one of the things I've learned to just kinda roll my eyes at now is "So, when's it your turn? When are you getting married?") Character and empathy develop as a result of challenges and heart-wrenchingly difficult times, and I love how you've been willing to share a bit of your story. I'm very happy that you and Barclay are getting what you've been wanting in entering Parenthood. If you were both getting what you were wanting in career endeavors and didn't want to be parents until you were 40, I'd be happy in that too. Keep being awesome.

Suzy Krause said...

Thanks Court! :)
(I definitely wonder why people say stuff like that so often. "When's it your turn?" When you're single, they want to know when you'll be getting married, when you're married, they want to know when you'll be having kids, when you have a kid, or so I hear, they want to know when you'll be having MORE kids.

There should be an unspoken rule about never, ever, under any circumstances, asking that question to someone whose circumstances you know nothing about...)

Anonymous said...

This is excellent writing as usual my dear Suzy. Which is kind of handy since you want to be a writer. It's funny how when you're little you automatically assume you're going to be a Mum (it tells you a lot about our society really), but then, for some people anyway, it ends up not really ever being the main focus. I'm the same, I want so much other stuff as well as being a Mum and it's nice to hear from an expecting parent that they are still focused on achieving their individual goals. Remember me when you're a successful writer!

Megs said...

So well said.

Suzy Krause said...

Thank you so much Suzy! You're the best.

Suzy Krause said...

thanks megs. :)

Paula said...

I don't know if you remember me, but I remember you! This was probably theeeee most wonderful and painful and beautiful thing I've read in a really long time.

xo,
Juno friend Paula

Suzy Krause said...

Juno Friend Paula! Of COURSE I remember you! (We never did go for coffee to share our Holmes PR horror stories...)

Thanks so much for your comment. Let's still be friends.