Dear Friends,
You are a wonderful bunch to be a part of.  It's always so nice to come to
the group when I need information as well as when I need refreshing.  I am
not ready to throw in the towel yet.  I was just feeling pushed around and
one does get tired of that, when all you want to do is help mothers do what
they were meant to do.  So simple to say, just a few words, "what they were
meant to do", but it involves so very much and has such lasting impact.  It
is always a wondrous feeling to hear moms describe the deep feelings they
have when their baby is at their breast.  It is a new delight, a fresh
surprise, a simple yet profound gift that each woman who breastfeeds finds
this out for herself.  It has always amazed me that it is so "common" and
yet so very uncommon an experience in one's life to have and breastfeed a
baby.  Why, "everyone does it" (of course I know that is painfully untrue
for some) or at least the majority do, but it feels like you've discovered
some marvelous secret when it happens to you.  That is why I do what I do.

But, alas, I already know wonderful lactation colleagues who have thrown in
the towel because dings and thumps in one's career can become overwhelming.
Someone once described it as pushing the cart uphill.  We each participate
in moving this cart.  Sometimes I just get overwhelmed by the weight of it,
I guess.  Dr. Mimi, I so admired your post and the hardy folks you call your
family.  While I have a wonderful family, my mom won't take my word for
anything or any article either.  She has to hear it from the doctor,
herself.  She's not a fighter.  She's what I call a "rules follower".  I
don't like to fight either, though I do tend to buck the system when it
comes to parenting my children (makes me wonder how in the world I got
involved in this field! ;-)).  Getting kicked around just makes me
feel...bruised and sore.  I have seen more colleagues succumb to this in the
last 5 years than I am comfortable with, but I sure do know how they feel!
Linda, I loved your post, too, especially the part about enjoying that you
get some reviews that call you "opinionated".  Yes, age does have its
privileges.  I hope to start enjoying some of those more in the near future.
They do say that if you can't change something, change how you think about
it!  I put Mother Theresa's saying on my desk at work, the one about how the
world may not honor your honorable intentions, but you should have them
anyway.  I will get behind the cart again and go forward, because there are
moms and babies who still need me.  Boy I sure do wish my dd wasn't moving
from Hawaii.  I could sure use a vacation there about now!

Aloha,
Marsha, who can't resist pulling out pictures of my grandchildren, including
a hilarious video of my grandson eating cheerios (the one with the posterior
tongue tie! www.myspace.com/lacy5k)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marsha Glass RN, BSN, IBCLC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations
as all other earthly causes combined.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~John S. C. Abbot~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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