May 2018 Pointers from Papa

May is the month of Mother’s Day—and we could also say Grandmother’s Day, as every grandmother is by definition a mother! I’ve learned from experience over the years that Mother’s Day is a hard day for some women. It can be a guilt-filled day, instead of a joyous one.

In many ways, women are stronger than men. They tend to live longer; in many cases, they work harder; they take care of their children and other responsibilities when abandoned by men, and they never give up on their children. But, in another sense, women are way more tender than men. No matter how beautiful and wonderful they are, they believe they are too fat or too skinny; too tall or too short; imperfect in their complexion; not smart enough or good enough. Studies show that women are twice as likely to feel guilty as men. Being a man, I can say that we generally think we’re OK. Not perfect, but OK. Pretty good. Not bad. Acceptable. But many women think they need to be perfect—and feel guilty because they are not. Nobody’s perfect—and that’s for sure. That’s why our website is good GoodGrandma, not PerfectGrandma.

I reiterate that GoodGrandma is a guilt-free zone. We don’t tolerate guilt at GG. We honor motherhood, grandmother-hood, and womanhood. Almost all mothers and grandmothers do the best they can, given their individual situation, limitations, and means. I express my sincere respect for mothers and grandmothers and hope you will enjoy this May (Mother’s Day) edition of the GG newsletter and will have a Happy (and guilt-free) Mother’s Day!