Daily life as a Mother is like a theatrical production. Mother is in the spotlight. She is the star of the show. Her stage is her home. She gets into character and portrays herself as the epitome of Motherhood.
She must focus on that performance. She must study the lines (duties and actions). She must focus on it and block most everything else out. She must be dedicated and give it her very best. How do I know this? Because William Holden and Bing Crosby were talking about it in "Country Girl." Bing portrayed a fabulous performer who had a difficult personal life. He gave everything he had when on stage, but stumbled and suffered between shows.
William Holden yelled at him and advised him. He also said something like this:
"Everyone has trouble at home. Those who say they don't are lying. The ones who pretend they don't are the ones who have the most trouble."
Does this sound like real life to you?
No successful actor can get on stage and do a half-hearted job. He must give it all he has. He must do his very best. His duties come first. He cannot let personal problems or trials get in the way of his work. He can't give up.
To be a Mother Actress, means we do our work, no matter what. We are performing on stage every single day. Can we have breaks? Certainly. Can we delegate from the couch when we are sick? Of course! But we must write those into our lines. Because in every moment of our lives, we have little ears listening and little eyes watching. We have understudies focusing on our every move, so they learn to imitate us in later life.
Does this mean Mother can't be mad, sad or grumpy? She most certainly can. She just has to incorporate them brilliantly into her lines. Her performances must be something to remember. She must do them in a way that is human, but in a way that is admirable. This takes practice. She will also learn from her failures.
When the spotlight shines on Mother, let her be as sweet as Doris Day and as dedicated as Grace Kelly and as dramatic as Bette Davis.
Blessings
Mrs. White
From the Archives -
For those very bad days - Despairing over the Household Allowance.
Be Warned - The Danger of Being an Unproductive Housewife.
Here is Peace - Fighting the Hectic Life.
2 comments:
Sweet Spring BLESSINGS to you!
Great post.
Letting those little under studies hear good things is a plus.
You have a super day!
d
One of the most special compliments I ever received was from my father-in-law, when he was watching me cook. I didn't even realize he had been watching me, but all of a sudden, he said, You are a pretty sight in the kitchen." I was on stage, but didn't even know it. That was thirty years ago, but I will never forget those kind words.
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