I've always been fascinated by the healing power of plants and I'm finally learning more about how to use natural remedies for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. I share what I'm learning on two Facebook pages: Nelaina Naturals and in the group Health Benefits of Essential Oils.
I find it interesting that the biggest audience on this blog is Russia. So I'm addressing this first letter to my Russian followers and I would love to hear from you. You probably want to know what life is like in America. Maybe that's why you read this blog. I did a little research today about what life is like for women in Russia, and I learned some interesting things.
Russian women seen very different from American women, mainly in their attitudes about relationships and family. I learned that Russian women still hold true to the traditional views of male/female roles in a relationship. You're more willing to submit to your husband as an authority figure, while American women seem to hate the word "submit". You're also less likely to rush into divorce because you believe in falling in love once and that's it. American women are very independent for the most part and they don't tolerate disrespect, so I see them ending relationships because the guy turns out to be a disappointment.
According to my research, Russian woman make excellent housekeepers and are likely to do all the housework themselves. In America, couples disagree about how the housework is shared because most women work full time and they want help. I actually agree with that. If women are going to give up their traditional role of homemaker to financially provide (traditionally a man's responsibility), then the man should help around the house. From what I see in America, most women still do the majority of the housework and childcare, even when they work full time. American women are exhausted, but they don't want to admit it.
In America, women like to think that they can do it all. They fiercely defend their right to work outside the home, although some do stay at home and care for their children while the husband is the sole provider. But these women are often looked down on by our society. I was a stay-at-home mom for nine years and I felt like a second class citizen at times. Working women always had some kind of degrading comment when they discovered that I didn't work outside the home.
Women in America are very competitive. We seem to see one another as competition because of the great value our society puts on appearances and financial success. Motherhood is not a valued occupation here. I think caring for her children is the most important thing a woman can do, but that role gets little respect here.
I was constantly defending my lifestyle decisions even though I fully had my husband's blessings to be at home with our daughter. I think that the way a couple decides to run their household is a private decision, but in America people seem to think they have a right to comment on a woman's lack of a paycheck, even when her children are very small. Six weeks after childbirth a woman is expected to get back in the game and become a money maker again.
I used to work in a daycare and I saw how exhausted those women were when they'd pick up their children. Mom couldn't focus on what her child was saying. She didn't want to see the painting her little one created. She just wanted to get out the door because an entire evening of work awaited her at home--cooking, dishes, laundry, homework. An American woman will defend her right to do it all. But at the same time I read surveys that reveal most American women would stay at home with ttheir young children if it were financially possible.
Couples in America want the big house, the nice car, the fancy clothes, expensive vacations. They want to live big, so they have to bring in a big income to have those things. Impressing each other with the nice things we own and the fun life we have is important here. We seem to live lives that are more about things than people. Americans judge one another more by what we accomplish than by who we are as people. A career woman gets more respect than a stay-at-home mom. I'm not impressed by a person's income, I'm impressed by their character.
What's wrong with America? We're too focused on material things, unwilling to make sacrifices. And we mind each other's business instead of respecting that we all have the right to choose our own lifestyles. I think women should be more supportive of one another. I have a few good friends but for the most part, true friends are hard to find. Kindness is the quality I admire most in a friend. Nothing else comes close to impressing me more than a kind, patient, humble heart.
I love what President Trump is doing for this nation, but a lot of people don't. I think they have to decide whether they hate our president or love our country because everything he's doing truly is making America great again. He's giving us hope by pulling back on big government and focusing on what Americans need to have a decent life--job opportunities, fewer government regulations. I told everyone that I wouldn't want to get out of bed in the morning with Hilary as president. That would have been more of the same Obamanation we had for eight years.
Well I guess I better get on with my evening. Thanks for being my biggest audience. I hope you'll stick around even though my blog is going through some changes. I still get the urge to write about all kinds of topics, so check in now and then. And I would love to hear about life in Russia, so drop me a comment.
Enjoy your evening,
Danelle
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