May 13, 2010
Why I'm Praising Moms
Some actors talk about how and from where they get their "motivation" in the portrayal of some character.  Actors usually get the role and then search for the motivation behind the role.  I am the exact opposite.  I get motivated about something, and then go out and make it happen.For years, I have been striving to have women re-establish their sacred place in the universe by influencing them to value their womanhood, and not simply resign themselves to being worker bees or unattached sexual objects.  My latest book, In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms , is my contribution to that end, reminding women that 1) they are the spiritual center of the family, and 2) that their love  and attention cannot be replaced by hired help.  I've been working very hard to have mothers and wives value themselves in these roles and not feel "less," but instead, enjoy the esteemed pedestal once again.To "bring it home," so to speak, I decided to do an extravaganza of an event, called In Praise of Mom , to applaud and recognize the beauty and importance of mothers everywhere.  Why am I so emotional about this?  Simple.  I almost missed out on this most incredible miracle (and sometime pain in the neck) called motherhood.In the 1960s, I was seduced by the feminist anger that proclaimed that husbands and kids were in the way of getting power and respect.  We lost way too much because of the anger vented on men and mothering.  As many of you may know, I did not have the most mothering mommy possible, and that probably contributed to my negativity at the time.  But at age 35, I had an epiphany.  What I was missing from my life was being a wife and a mommy.I now know the glories and agonies of being a mommy, and I am grateful I didn't miss out on one minute of it.  I receive calls every day from women who are mothers of good kids, troubled kids, confusing kids, rambunctious kids, curious kids, risk-taking kids and more.  For a mom, the well-being of her child and family is number one .  It occurred to me that I should use the opportunity afforded by the release of my new book to celebrate Mother's Day in a new, fun, touching, memorable way.  As my son is in the military (as are many of yours), we won't be together on Mother's Day.  The next best thing is for all us mothers to get together and laugh and hug about our trials, tribulations, and exaltations of motherhood. In Praise of Mom will be a one-time only event on Tuesday, May 5 in a movie theater near you...and it will be beamed live by satellite to more than 400 theaters around the country.  Let's get all the moms in our lives together and applaud ourselves! To purchase tickets, click here .

Posted by Staff at 1:05 AM