This article is published in Vanity Fair number 32-33 on newsstands until August 17, 2021
Last year in this column I urged women who went on family holidays to work as little as possible. Perhaps you remember it: it was entitled “A magic recipe” and among other things it said: “You have already given during the lockdown, and you have given too much in your life … Your relatives are fine even if you don’t bring them fresh croissants in the morning , don’t queue at the fish shop to cook them the squid sauce, don’t worry if they eat or don’t eat, take a bath or watch the series … They won’t die if they eat pizza and apricots for two weeks … Don’t check, don’t manage, don’t point out , do not decide … I know that your eyes know what is best for them, but let them find out for themselves ». That piece was much commented and shared. A recent friend wrote to me: “But if you’re the one who’s going to buy brioches and make squid sauce!” He was right. I’m cooking it right now too, as I write. It takes about an hour and every now and then I get up from the computer to mix it.
But today I have grown up children, who sometimes have dinner with friends, sometimes they go on vacation alone, sometimes they cook. From when they were younger I remember a furious determination in trying to do everything, to do it as best as possible and every day: from the sea bass baked with thirty-six degrees to the games on the beach. Who knows why women, especially between the ages of thirty and fifty, do this. Actually I know it well: it’s a story that has been going on for millennia and we have just started to change it.
The real problem, what makes the question urgent and central to society and individuals, is that filling every role is wearing. When children grow up, I assure you, they don’t remember how perfect we were, they just remember how tired we were.
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Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
