"I believe that always, or almost always, in all childhoods and in all the lives that follow them, the mother represents madness. Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we've ever met." - Marguerite Duras (French writer) When I first came across this quote I wasn't sure if I was offended by it (as a mother) or agreed with it (as a daughter). Truth be told, it does resonate with me (a little).
Perhaps it's simply inescapable. Destiny. Mothers. We are a crazy lot! But are we good crazy or bad crazy?
Loon crazy or goon crazy? Meaning, are we off the charts bonkers (loony) or just harmless goofballs (goony)? There is a big difference! Think institutional patient versus maybe a slightly pathetic comedian.
And, is it a chicken and egg conundrum? Are mothers crazy because their kids drive them crazy? Or, is it the craziness that makes women willing to sacrifice (sometimes a lot) to be a mother?
As long as the "crazy" isn't the scary, prone to sudden maniacal outbursts, rants and raving crazy; then I'm hopeful that the writer is just stating the obvious fact that as mothers, you've got to do a lot of strange stuff along the trails of mothering. And if that leaves us a little bit nuts, well....so be it! It's worth all the madness!
Perhaps Billy Joel said it best in "You May Be Right:"
"If I'm crazy then it's true
That it's all because of you
And you wouldn't want me any other way."
