Little brother just stayed the holiday week with us. He’s not so little anymore. At twenty-four society says he’s an adult. Yes, society says so. I definitely do not. I love him and think he’s a great guy, but as the youngest amongst the siblings he was definitely coddled a bit much by our parents. I got a bit mad at him for setting a bad example for my three actual kids on how an “adult” is supposed to act. He stayed up super late each night watch TV. His reasoning: “I don’t know anyone in this city to party with with, so I might as well catch up on my television.”

A rough dramatization of how my brother spent his weekend “visiting my family”

Yes, he’s not a role model. Regardless, in the hours after the kids went to bed, and hubby and I went to bed, I caught quite a bit of my brother’s new favorite TV show, Sons of Anarchy. It’s a Sopranos-esque family crime drama around an outlaw biker gang. Not really my favorite setting, but definitely an interesting show. I found myself identifying with one of the main characters, Gemma, played by Katey Sagall (Peggy Bundy from Married, with Children.) Gemma plays the matriarch of the gang, kind of like a den mother to all the lost little boys in the gang. Her obvious main characteristic is her extreme devotion to family. I liked to see a strong female protagonist like that. One thing I didn’t like was a phrase she said in one episode which was basically that God’s sole purpose for her was to be a fierce mother.

That rubbed me the wrong way. My favorite thing about her was that she’s a fierce mother, but to say that was her purpose in life definitely devalues her character and perverts what it means to be a parent. That line was obviously written by a man. As a mother, I strongly identify with anyone who is proud of being a parent and considers parenting to be their number one priority. But to say that it’s your sole purpose? That’s a bit ridiculous. We all have multiple roles to play. You may be a mother, but you’re probably also a daughter, and a co-worker, and wife/girlfriend, neighbor, sister, citizen, bookclub member and so forth. Parenting probably is, and should be the most important, but the say that it the only thing in your life is to say your life is probably very boring. Besides, when you need a mini-break from the kids (as we all do sometimes), you better have another role to switch to. That’s all I’m saying.

Anyhow, that one line turned me off Sons of Anarchy. Back to Game of Thrones it is.

Gemma of Sons of Anarchy with her bad biker son