Dear Solomon, does Mom really know best?

The 31st chapter of the book of Proverbs is what some call a fanciful description of superwoman, and someday we will look at the qualities given there, but the first nine verses of this chapter are advice given from a mother to a son — a son who just happens to be a king.  

Being a mother in the mold of what the Bible teaches, especially a full-time stay-at-home mom, has mostly disappeared from our cultural landscape. With some notable exceptions, including many in our local community, there aren’t very many June Cleavers, Harriet Nelsons, Carol Bradys or even Jill Taylors around anymore (not that Hollywood has ever accurately depicted the worth and value of a real mother).

In many instances, we have fallen for the pressure to have bigger and better and to keep up with what society says we should have and be. Under other circumstances, it has nothing to do with having nicer stuff, the pressure is simply to survive. In either case, it is typically impossible to accomplish everything one wants for their family on one income.

So, instead of just scraping by with the minimum or somehow trying to survive, the choice is made, and thus, the two-income family was born — making the stay-at-home mom a rarity.

This is not a rant against working mothers by any means — I admire you and feel for you in the throes of such a struggle — it is just a fact of the constantly changing times we live in and the extreme difficulty these days to make ends meet on one salary.

But what hasn’t changed is the fact that moms have an incredible influence on their children, an influence that cannot be calculated in dollars and cents. It is also an impact and influence that is not always recognized or acknowledged.

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