A Mother's Anxieties

                                                  Maxine "Kopie" Ray Fessler circa 1941

Since the beginning of time a mother has had anxious thoughts before, during and after bringing a child into this world. Some historical events probably created more foreboding than others and the quote below describes such an occurrence. A dear friend, Lou Ann Fessler Schiveland, found the following newspaper clipping in her mother Maxine (Kopie) Ray Fesslers possessions. Obviously, this mirrored her thoughts as she brought her second daughter into the world. The news article from an unidentified paper, without a date was written by Ruth Millet. 

 “She is truly TODAYS MOTHER. Her child was born in one of the troubled months of 1940 or early 1941. She knew she would bring her child into an uncertain, insecure world even while she was deciding that one had a perfect right to do so. Never for a minute was she lulled into thinking that “everything would be all right” before it was a great deal worse. Some of her friends and a number of older people said. “How foolish to bring a child into this world at this time. Why didn’t she wait to see how things will go? For all she knows her husband may be in the army for a few months—and think how a baby will complicate her life if it becomes necessary for her to earn her own living.” 

They had all sorts of sensible sounding reasons for thinking TODAYS MOTHER was foolish. She could have answered them had she wished—for she herself had thoughts of every one of their reasons for waiting. But she had what she believed were better reasons for going ahead and having a child. The first reason was simple. She wanted a child—and she didn’t want to wait for it until world conditions straightened themselves out. Experts said it would take years. Then, too, she had faith in herself—faith that she could, if it became necessary, take care of both herself and her child, alone. Other women had done it—not only in war but in peacetime. 

Another thing, if war should come to America, perhaps she could get her child here for its father to see and enjoy a while before he was called away from home. It never occurred to her to question what kind of heritage she would be offering her child. She knew that he would be born into, live and grow up in a free country. His father is willing to fight to see that he does. And so are fathers all over the land. She has the child now, and she isn’t afraid of the future—her child’s future—even though she is wise enough to know that hard, perhaps tragic times are ahead. She is TODAYS MOTHER and proud of it.” 

Those of us born to these mother’s have never had any catchy label like Baby Boomers or Millennials. We have always just been called “War babies” and grateful for our mothers strength and courage to bring us into this world.