This past weekend, I read The Help by Katheryn Stockett. It's on all the best seller lists - so I am sure at least a few of you read it. The gist of the story is about what it was like for African American women in the 60's to work as housekeepers and child care workers for women in the South.
Although it takes place in Mississippi, I wonder how many people realize that it could have just as easily taken place in the suburbs of New York too. Although I was not raised by a housekeeper, I do remember that my mother and all of her sisters were. My grandmother was always running off somewhere - to volunteer driving the blind, shopping at the department store or visiting a friend, or playing canasta. From what my mother tells me, was rarely home to raise her four girls.
Even as I was growing up, after all the "girls" left my grandmothers house, she would have her housekeeper come several times a week. They would always be working whenever we gathered at my grandparents house for big parties or when they hosted the extended family for holidays, like Thanksgiving.
Sitting here now and wanting to start our family as bad as we do, I can't help but wonder if women who had trouble getting pregnant, and clearly didn't have access to the medical technology we have today, and were then blessed with a "miracle" still wanted the housekeeper to raise their children.
What do you think? Could you have done that?
2 comments:
Sounds like a great read! I am not certain if I would have hired help to raise my child, however, if you call day care for the child so that you can work full time then yes that will be my intention if we're blessed with a child. But I also think that I will hire a housekeeper if we have a child. Working full time and raising family sounds like a very busy life and if the housekeeping is not on the to do list then I think it will make for a more happier family as I'll have more time to spend with our child. That's the plan...but we'll see.
I definitely agree about hiring someone to help clean. Within six months of getting married, we hired a housekeeper and never looked back. We'll be celebrating our 15th next month and I have no doubts whatsover that this is one of the key reasons we have a successful marriage.
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