Friday, July 30, 2010

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE

Even if I had an invitation from you personally, Hillary, I wouldn't want to be one of your guests at Chelsea's wedding tomorrow. It's too many famous people, too much media attention on who will be there, what are they wearing, and how you and Bill look and react to each other.

I find myself wondering, as if tomorrow were a big day on my own calendar, how's "MOTB" Hillary doing? (I read that's what you, Mother of the bride, call yourself.)

I can't help picturing that other MOTB -- Palin's reaction when her daughter and her daughter's lover, (Father of their baby), told grandma Sarah that they were going to get married. Oh boy, you betcha Sarah was not pleased, not ready, willing, and able to put her arms around the couple and say, "That's wonderful!"

Palin's knowing forefinger, her convictions about what's right and wrong, her moral judgments -- yes indeed -- she's what she's been touting -- the "Mama Grizzly bear" protecting her cub -- not a thoughtful, in-tune-with-the-times Mom, supporting what these young people feel.

What about you, Hillary -- are you having an inner time-marching-on feeling, a there she goes sense of your daughter as she's off into another phase of life, another world, a place that you can't really share with her?

That's how I felt when our son got married

It's a relief -- the wedding day. The decision's been made. There's a new member of your family, and new thoughts about newlyweds making love, giving and taking, rapport, the intertwining of ideas -- how the two young people will be braiding themselves into a couple. Those sort of thoughts flutter and flow while you adjust to your new status.

As a parent-in-law you find yourself keeping out of the couple's private business, but taking it in, sharing it with the man you married. Even without talking about it, you know what he's feeling.

(Whenever you and Bill are together, we're touched, remembering the Lewinsky scandal, and the graceful, loving. abiding unity of the two of you.)

When you were running for president, we saw you growing, discovering how to just very simply
be yourself. That was a revelation for me -- liking you, rooting for you, shifting to Obama gradually, and somehow, liking and admiring you, more and more.

You've given me and a lot of women a new sense of the importance of intuition, truthfulness, inner strength -- as you reacted to the ups and downs, the winning and losing in the polls.

Oh sure, we'll study every slight expression that cameras allow us to have of President Clinton and reporters write about what he says and does. We'll see Chelsea in her prime, in her dress, and the serious-faced groom, Marc. (I hope he'll smile or grin -- the poor guy isn't accustomed to being observed as you three Clintons are.)

And you? The MOTB? I am sure you'll be a loving Mother taking in the day, the event, the moment when the bride and groom kiss -- radiating the right feeling of love and joy and the "ahh" that weddings make us feel. You'll be there, showing and teaching us to just simply -- be what we are.

I hope Sarah Palin, with her twitters, her busy selling-herself schedule, has time to watch some of what will be on the television news of the MOTB -- former First Lady, Senator, losing/winning candidate for President, our Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

4 comments:

wayne said...

Hello, again. the Hillary insight is touching. I can see your have a wonderfully poignant opinion of the Clinton's. Personally, I care little for the Clinton's. Too maany people have died close to them, too much money has disappeared under their control..I consider them a gangster family and have no concern for them or their daughter..

Carola said...

I will enjoy reading about the wedding and looking at the photos. I really like the Clintons - all of them. I love the way Hillary is balancing MOTB with her extremely important job.

Anonymous said...

Well, I agree with you 100%! Yes, they have had many problems, but through it all, I admire Hillary more than any of them! I wish we were saying Madame President right now...but maybe...one day!
Bruce

Linda Phillips said...

As someone who will never be a MOTB (no children ;-), I really enjoyed your perspective on this event Emily, as it was something that I never would have given any thought to myself.

I have a lot of ambivalent feeling about the Clintons, about both Bill and Hillary. I am very proud of the job that she is doing now and believe it was just the right job for her. Bill was a great president IMO, but far from a perfect example as a person.

The role of mother is a whole other thing. I get the impression that she is a very loving mother and very proud of how well her daughter has turned out (despite all of the scandals that surrounded them while she was growing up). Of course we will never know what scars those events may have left her with. I read that her soon to be husband also has similar scars as his father had to serve jail time for I forget what...but they have that in common and have been together a long time now. So, I hope that their marriage will be a good solid one.

Thanks for posting this! I am your new fan! Linda