We asked this question on Facebook the other day and two things surprised me: a.) The post got only 13 comments and b.) Most of the commenters answered that their “kids” and “grandkids” were their greatest accomplishments.
When we post a celebrity’s birthday, we’ll sometimes get hundreds of comments about how much FOFs love the celebrity and her accomplishments, but why didn’t women jump at the chance to tell us about their own triumphs? Of the 3,248 people who saw this question on Facebook, how is it that only 13 answered?
- Do women not want to talk about themselves? If that’s the case, why?
- Do women think they haven’t accomplished anything worth noting?
- And while I think it’s indeed a great accomplishment to raise children to become productive and nice adults, why did the majority of women choose that answer?
My goodness, we’re the greatest generation in the history of women and we’ve accomplished so much. We should be shouting it from the rooftops.
We all need approbation from others throughout our lives, but most of all we’ve got to approve of ourselves. One woman did step right up to the plate and answered “Me” in response to our question on Facebook. I applaud her.
0 Responses to “A big question gets little attention”
Pauline Durban says:
My biggest accomplishment was following through on a great idea and launching Covered Perfectly. Of course I have to say my son as well, he’s the love of my life.
Mary says:
Do women not want to talk about themselves? If that’s the case, why?
Women like me who have stepped away from a career full of “accomplishments” to stay at home to create a nest, a haven for the family and having hubbie as the major breadwinner are sometimes looked down upon by other women. They either don’t understand or don’t wish to understand. I find that women are our own worst enemies sometimes.
And while I think it’s indeed a great accomplishment to raise children to become productive and nice adults, why did the majority of women choose that answer?
Why did the majority of women choose that answer-maybe it’s because it is our greatest accomplishment, plain and simple.
Thank you for your blog, Mary
Sue Walker says:
I missed seeing this on facebook, so I’m going to boast on here instead! Of course I think of my children as an accomplishment – but I would like to add that whatever they have achieved in life is due to THEM and not to ME!
My greatest accomplishment was to have my book about retiring to Spain (Retiring the Olé Way) published when I was 61. I was so excited when my publishers told me they were going to publish it! I also had a book launch party at home to celebrate when I received my first copies.
Christine Somers says:
My question is, why isn’t children and grandchildren an acceptable or even applauded answer?
Geri Brin says:
hello christine,
no one said it isn’t an acceptable answer, or one worth applauding. i simply said i was surprised that the majority of the commenters had that as an answer. but of course it’s acceptable. every answer is acceptable.
geri
Amanda R Charpentier says:
My greatest accomplishment!
I got my bachelor’s at age 58!!! Was so proud to walk across that stage!!! My husband and my mom were in the audience, and my 5 kids watching on live stream! Took me over 40 years, but I did it!!!
Geri Brin says:
Congratulations Amanda,
Not only is that wonderful, I bet you learned lots more than I did when I went to college.
Geri
Lainey says:
My initial impulse was to say “my children” too, but my list wouldn’t end there. In addition to a happy marriage and successful career, I consider the network of friends I’ve nurtured over the years to be a very great accomplishment.
How did childless women respond?
Geri, I share your “special birthday” – March 8th is International Women’s Day Birthday!.
Geri Brin says:
Hi Lainey,
we have to remember to wish each other Happy B-Day!
Fondly,
Geri
Shari Roe says:
My 32-1/2 year marriage is my greatest accomplishment. Course I have a great hubby.
Geri Brin says:
Hi Toby,
Your statement is inspirational. Yes, what you’ve done is definitely an accomplishment.
Fondly,
Geri
Toby Wollin says:
Geri – perhaps women feel that this is the expected answer (sort of like ‘world peace’ at the beauty pageants) and that if they don’t say that, then they are judged as being self-centered, a braggart, or not sufficiently ‘womanly’. My greatest accomplishment? To be blunt, it’s that I live in a place where good job opportunities for women are practically non-existent, and the ones out there pay extremely poorly. So, my accomplishment is (as we say up here in the muskeg): Making Job Lemonade. Since 1976, I’ve managed (though from time to time, it has gotten a bit dicey) to cobble together a working life which has been reasonably satisfying, has more than paid the bills, has afforded the family the flexibility to spent a lot of time together doing a lot of very interesting and varied stuff (raising sheep, bees, chickens, turkeys, goats? Learning to dye and spin?). And all things being considered, THAT’s an accomplishment.