Such a beautiful piece! I feel it in my bones, as the "new" mom of a 2 year old. Everyday is a Hero's Journey of its own, each new developmental phase the baby goes through is a new island I must learn to navigate, with new monsters to identify and new hidden oases.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing a very engaged father who clearly experienced fatherhood as a Hero's Journey of his own. He was describing to me the many insights he has gained already, and so many were beautiful gems to be shared widely.
yes, and in a way sometimes even more for engaged fathers who weren’t socialized into this role from an early age/ never babysit or “cooked” for dolls. it can feel like a truly foreign terrain!
I found Brita Bushnell’s book “Transformed by Birth” to speak to a very similar idea — she overlays the Greek mythical journey onto the journey to becoming a parent. It’s one of my all time favorite birth books. :)
I like when you said, “View care as a Hero’s Journey and we just might treat those caring for a resolute toddler or teen or helping a parent with dementia with the same curiosity and respect we treat someone who just climbed Mt. Everest.” These are heroic journeys with just as much if not more drama than those of the solitary wanderer. They deserve more attention in everyday life, as well as in literature and films.
I’m trying to remember if you mentioned it in your book, but have you read Maria Tatar’s Heroine with 1001 Faces? She has a really interesting feminist response to Campbell’s framework.
You're right, there is a dearth of caregivers in fiction. Here are two wonderful examples from the fantasy genre that buck the trend: "Tehanu" by Ursula K. Le Guin (part of the Earthsea series) and "I Shall Wear Midnight" by Sir Terry Pratchett (along with the rest of his books featuring Tiffany Aching).
thanks for sharing! I love Lydia Kiesling's "The Golden State" and Yael Goldstein-Love's "The Possibilities" as well -- two great examples of motherhood Hero's Journeys. (I will keep thinking of others I'm sure, just the two that came to mind now.)
Would Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels count as a care giver’s Odyssey? The protagonists of those novels seem to me admirable but not necessarily good, not unlike the Greek and Roman figures the book frequently alludes to.
Yes! I totally agree about heroes' journeys. Fantastic piece!
And thanks for the shout out :)
Such a beautiful piece! I feel it in my bones, as the "new" mom of a 2 year old. Everyday is a Hero's Journey of its own, each new developmental phase the baby goes through is a new island I must learn to navigate, with new monsters to identify and new hidden oases.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of interviewing a very engaged father who clearly experienced fatherhood as a Hero's Journey of his own. He was describing to me the many insights he has gained already, and so many were beautiful gems to be shared widely.
Caregiving is a Hero's Journey.
yes, and in a way sometimes even more for engaged fathers who weren’t socialized into this role from an early age/ never babysit or “cooked” for dolls. it can feel like a truly foreign terrain!
Absolutely!
I found Brita Bushnell’s book “Transformed by Birth” to speak to a very similar idea — she overlays the Greek mythical journey onto the journey to becoming a parent. It’s one of my all time favorite birth books. :)
thanks for the recommendation!
I like when you said, “View care as a Hero’s Journey and we just might treat those caring for a resolute toddler or teen or helping a parent with dementia with the same curiosity and respect we treat someone who just climbed Mt. Everest.” These are heroic journeys with just as much if not more drama than those of the solitary wanderer. They deserve more attention in everyday life, as well as in literature and films.
I’m trying to remember if you mentioned it in your book, but have you read Maria Tatar’s Heroine with 1001 Faces? She has a really interesting feminist response to Campbell’s framework.
I haven’t—but am familiar with it. This is a good reminder to pick it up. Thank you!
You're right, there is a dearth of caregivers in fiction. Here are two wonderful examples from the fantasy genre that buck the trend: "Tehanu" by Ursula K. Le Guin (part of the Earthsea series) and "I Shall Wear Midnight" by Sir Terry Pratchett (along with the rest of his books featuring Tiffany Aching).
thanks for sharing! I love Lydia Kiesling's "The Golden State" and Yael Goldstein-Love's "The Possibilities" as well -- two great examples of motherhood Hero's Journeys. (I will keep thinking of others I'm sure, just the two that came to mind now.)
It seems that the caregiver's hero's journey fiction reading list might be a good post 😉
Agree!
Would Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels count as a care giver’s Odyssey? The protagonists of those novels seem to me admirable but not necessarily good, not unlike the Greek and Roman figures the book frequently alludes to.
I think so! also, how boring to have to be "perfect" or purely "good" - fodder for another piece