When I first read Little Women, I was 23 and I was Jo. Adventurous, free-spirited, confident, loud, a bit self-absorbed and dramatic. Not pretty Amy’s pettish sort of dramatic, but a bold blundering kind.
Then I had children and soon felt like Meg midstory, when she mothered twins. Absent. Meg was occupied, confused, imperfect, tired. She had little to offer an interesting tale and therefore was little mentioned.
Now, eight years into motherhood, I feel myself slowly becoming Marmee.
Had Marmee not been content to be painted into the backdrop of a beautiful tale about the becoming of people who are not herself, then none of the girls could have “become” at all. I feel myself sliding into this new role and adopting it as part of my identity as I study my children’s personalities and try to nurture their souls. I am loving it in a way that neither I nor Meg could have imagined in those early years with two crying babes and burnt jam. I pray that God helps me continue to become her well for the good of others and for my own heart.
__________
I am relistening to to the novel on audiobook now. Last year I watched the Amazon mini series. This year I saw the new film in theaters (it was so wonderful!). But the 1949 version that my sister and I watched every Christmas will always be close to my heart. Marmee’s words to Jo in the book and in that 1949 version are so much what I desire for my own daughters. I will record them for you here,
“I want my daughters to be beautiful, accomplished, and good; to be admired, loved, and respected; to have a happy youth, to be well and wisely married, and to lead useful, pleasant lives, with as little care and sorrow as God sees fit to send. To be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman, and I sincerely hope my girls may know this beautiful experience. It is natural to think of it, right to hope and wait for it, and wise to prepare for it, so that when the happy time comes, you may feel ready for the duties and worthy of the joy… not that they would marry rich men merely because they are rich, or have splendid houses which are not homes because love is wanting. Money is a needful and precious thing- and, when well-used, a noble thing- but I never want you to think it is the first prize to strive for. I’d rather see you poor men’s wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, then queens on thrones, without self-respect or peace.”
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>I have two daughter, age 13 & 15, and I love this post. It is exactly what I wish for my girls. Thank you for sharing.
>very true well said!if only everyones opinions and feelings on the subject where the same
OnMyWay, When I was 15 years old, my dad took me to a nice restaurant- the kind of place a man proposes at- just the two of us. we dressed up and everything. He talked to me openly and comfortably about the importance of keeping myself pure until marriage. We discussed how I should date and why I should date that way and how boys think and how to not tempt them and about the purpose of marriage and the purpose behind not living like a married person before marriage. Then he presented me with a blessing and a ring. I can forward you the blessing if you give me your email address. It is really beautiful. The ring symbolized my commitment to God, to my dad, and to my future husband to wait. I wore the ring until my dad took it off of me on my wedding day and gave it to my husband. I am very thankful for the way my dad loved me and was so open with me and available to nonjudgmentally talk to me about anything through my youth. And I am not sure that I would have found the kind of husband I have now if it weren't for his loving example. He did the same with my younger sister who is now 20 and is on the same track.