THE PRIMAL SCREAM PROJECT: A NY Times Series
noun: primal scream; plural noun: primal screams
a release of intense basic frustration, anger, and aggression, especially that rediscovered by means of primal therapy.
Mother. A multitasking superhero who can shape shift her identity from a working woman to a child hip slinging, breast pumping milk machine. She can cultivate the physical strength of the Hulk yet be left with a permanently softer post baby body that doesn’t exactly fit into our societal warped objectified view of a hard body physique.
If anyone has ever witnessed a birth, they would know that it is a physical challenge of pure endurance and power. We celebrate the ultra athlete with a podium win and financial endorsements but what if these winners had to tend to their “trophies” with 24/7 unending and unsupported care? Every athlete gets a recovery day or “off season” but for the mother, this is never the case. There is rarely a time to recuperate especially in the pandemic age.
The New York Times has dedicated a series of eye opening, informational pieces dedicated to how the pandemic has effected MOTHERS. You know, the commonly forgotten and under appreciated women that gets one fancy Hallmark day per year dedicated to her. She is expected to keep her composure while juggling her world of being mom, teachers aid, dog walker, cook, house maid, friend, lover and fitness enthusiast all in a 24 hour period. She wears all the hats and her support staff typically consists of well, herself especially for the single mother of which there are many.
The statistics are staggering since quarantine began for mothers. 1 million mothers have left the workplace of which Black, Hispanic and single moms have been hit the hardest. 1 in 4 children experienced food insecurity which has been linked to maternal income loss in a family. Feelings of stress and anxiety have hit more than 3/4 of mothers in the 8-12 year old school children due to school year challenges. Economically, for a few months before the pandemic hit, there were more women in the workforce than men, whereas now, we are at an equivalency to that of the late 1980s. When women leave their jobs for long periods of time to rear children or to stay at home during a pandemic, they lose their momentum to climb the ladder for higher paying and higher level positions. They also put a stop gap in their retirement earning income.
I encourage all to read this series in The NY Times and if you are a mama who is experiencing the need to scream it out, call their helpline…you can say whatever you want to say with no judgement.
Also, my weekly IG Live broadcast, the Integrative Wellness Collective will be featuring Ciara Shea, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and creator of the workshop “Tough As a Mother” this Wed, Feb 10th at 8:30pm. I encourage you to join us…especially you tough mothers out there who can use the support.