The Battle of the Megyns and a Commentary on Parenting

Even if you've only recently started following Megyn Kelly like me, you will have discovered her visceral disdain for Megan Markle. Not being a consistent viewer of any particular show this much I know, she does not just dislike her, she despises her. The betrayals, the selfishness and above all the ingratidute and the entitelment, the fakery and the empty gloss. Living in her Monticeto mansion complaining about her terrible ordeal of becoming one of the most famous and pampered princess of our time. The situation reached it's breaking point and the result was one of the most hilarious catfights of all time. A parody. The pampered princess was no match for the humor and wit of a parody podcast that eclipsed her banality in its originality but rivaled the counterpart comedy shows that dropped the ball on this one. Megyn Kelly partnered with Maureen, a podcast host on her media network, and the two recreated the terrible Markle show to such perfection that I was left in stiches. From the obvious pretending to be best friends, toxic relationship, bullying, coopting other peoples recipes and pretending like discovering microwaave popcorn makes her the new Einstein.I guess you got to see it to believe it, and if you are not a news junkie like me, take my word for it - Kelly struck gold. Following the success of her first parody series, Megyn scored again with an episode immitating the pretend space flight of a bunch of rich entitled celebrities. The wife of Jeff Bezos the Amazon guy asked Katy Perry, a singer, Gail King, news personality from some mainstream network and a few others to pretend to be her best friend for the day and in exchange be invited to her exclusive adventure. It really was cool and had it been done in the style of Mark Rover or some other science channel to give us all the opportunity to learn about space and marvel together about the wonders of the universe we would be having a very different conversation. Instead these bimbos put on this terrible show of being virtuous and wise and better than all the rest of us pions because they alone went where no man has gone before. Except they didnt reaaach space, they just went slightly above the atmosphere where most of the first world has been many times during air travel. Instead of elevating the cause of feminism they walked all over the accomplishments of the woman who walked before them pretending they are the female inspiration for space travel erasing the accomplishments of real female austronauts who have already done this but without all the navel gazing and fanfare. MK media copied this to perfection, the simpering praise of the newscasters, the narcistic ego of the "astronauts", the vanity and friviloty of which they approached the whole endevour. It was hilarious and they were on a roll. Then came time to parody Michelle Obama and to me, Kelly fell flat. I wondered why I felt that way and realized it was the Michelle Obama podcast that had done something so terrible it was beyond parody. I couldnt care less if she was trying to promote DEI or cornrows - both deserve their day in court. And if some has been, wannabee bored empty nester wantes to kvetch to her brother - right on girl. Complaining is a favourite Jewish pastime - so beloved in fact that there is a whole genre of comedy and jokes just on that. I cant begrudge her mistaken perception that lashing out on the unfairness of living a priviledged life will make her respected, beloved and admired. If she wants to tell the world what a horrible man the former president of the united states is and how terrible it is to have him as a husband - go for it. Free speech is the freedom to speak, happily, it also includes the freedom not to listen. And noone did. Well, noone but Kelly's producer. And...a new parody podcast was created. I was with "Megyn O" for all of it, crying about the trials and tribulations of living in the white house, the financial calamity that almost befell her due to the ordeal, yadi yada, all the kookiness of pretending to be one of the most priviledged women on earth, married to a man who had been the most powerful man on earth, begging the world to see her as a victim and bless her with sainthood in payment for her suffering. But then she said something unforgivable. Michele, now portrayed by Megyn, declared that being a mother was the opposite of a blessing it was the worst thing that had ever happened to her and in fact ruined her life. Motherhood to her was a curse, not a blessing. As a woman and as a Mom this was despicable and offensive. The first and foremost reason I find her words beyond the pale is because I have friends who struggle with infertility. One friend shared that she is able to become pregnant but cannot maintain the pregnancy. A famous reality star Erin Bates had a similar issue and lost several babies as well until she found a solution. My friend is still waiting for hers and if anyone has the capacity and the heart to be the most amazing parents and is she and her husband. So ### you Michelle Obama with your tears and your whining. My friend would give anything to have two beautiful healthy girls like you do. I also am close with a young Mom who had to go throough IVF, a grueling process, in order to get pregnant with some of her babies, though I dont know much about this situation I know many women walk through fire and hell to bring a baby to earth. An orthodox Jewish Rabbi recently wrote a book and shared on a podcast the challenge and the opportunity of IVF and what sacrifices a couple would be willing to make for the joy and the privilidge of being a parent. Another famous Rabbi is less enncouraging in the IVF process just because he is acutely aware of the dangers and the pitfalls and he instead shares his personal parenting journey through adoption. The joy and emotion conveyed in his voice describing his pride and gratidute for his relationship with his son is a true testament to the love a parent has for a child no matter how that relationship came to me and demonstrates the values and ideal vision of parenthood in a decent society. This brings me to my next counterpoint to Michelle Obamas dark vision - an even darker and grim reality. Often, even once a child is born the struggle and the suffering isnt over. I have a close relative who waited 8 months for her baby to be discharged from the NICU and be welcomed home. During this time, an Arab mom was caring for triplets all three of whom were receiving care in the same unit as her little boy. Though I was there many many times visiting Mr. Cuddles as I called him, I never met this other family who went home around the time "we" did, sadly, they only took home their little girl Alma, her two brothers did not make it. I was worried more than once that our precious little one might not be so lucky either. Before I got involved, he had been through several surgeries and it came to a point where the doctors had done all they could. They pulled my cousin into a room and gently shared the news. Pray, pray to your god. At this point there was nothing else they could offer. My cousin descibe walking out of that meeting and suddenly feeling like the hallway was very very long. It was heartbreaking for me to hear this - this young dad had been the carefree teenager I used to goof around with as they made fun of the books I read and I spend many family meals and fun family events. His mom at times was like a second mother to me and my sisters, she even accompanied my sister when she gave birth early and her husband was stuck out of town. But I digress. By the time I got involved and started volunteering the baby was much more stable but still in critical care. It seemed he would make it but I had to watch him endure torture of the surgeon fiddling with his stoma to keep the hole patent, his cries and wailing every painful diaper change he distrusted human contact so much he had to learn not to cry and scream for a bath. (Another side note - I did that! I sang to him when i bathed him and this was soothing and curative.) But beyond the pain and suffering there wsa still the fear and concern, so many things that could go wrong and did. I recall one day leaving the hospital praying to god not to allow my cousin to experience the grief of losing a child, I loved her too much. To watch over that baby not just for the sake of his own survival but for the love and concern of his dear parents who did not deserve to lose him. Thank god he is thriving and doing well but i met many concenred parents and saw tremendously ill babies in an experience that I will carry with me. Through a different organization I handed out food to families of pediatric cancer patients, this too was a formative experience for me, especially witnessing the tears of my partner each time we left a unit. A healthy child is not a given, certainly not something to take for granted. Noone has taught me this lesson more than my friend Eva and her husband Mark.* (name changed). Thier third child was born with Aicardi syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder affecting primarily females. This was discovered when she was close to 9 months pregnant and a doctor urged them to chalk it up to a mistake (to have an abortion and try for better luck next time.) They of course rejected his heartless and inhumane suggestion and this girl gives them so much joy every day. Not by accident - it is a deliberate act of will. They choose to see her as a blessing while being honest about the stress, the worries the fears and the challenges of raising a child like this. To see her progress and develop skills only to have seizures and experience a regression. Running a household and all the rest of life's challenges while juggling her needs and challenges - it is not simple and they dont pretend it is. But her laughter at the beach and just the miracle of what she can accomplish on a given day is a cause for celebration. Theirs is the example and the vision I choose to elevate and the story they share every year when they thank god for the miracle of their son who was born after this girl. When he was about 14 days old his Mom noticed that he had some sort of hernia on his abdomen, didnt seem serious whereas the bauracracy did and so she almost pushed off seeing the doctor for another day. By stroke of luck some secretary squeezed them in and this saved his life. Turns out, unrelated to the hernia, their baby boy had a heart condition, Trasposition of the Great Arteries. Several hours later and he would not have made it - they had to put in a chest tube just to get him to the hospital alive and within hours he was in the operating room with a surgeon cutting into a heart that was smaller than an adult fist. Every year in the fall they make a huge celebration with lots of family and friends to thank god for their miracle. Another friend has the same condition as Catherine Middleton, and every pregnancy is a painful ordeal from beginning to end. Some people pay a bigger price than others to have their babies and not everyone is perfect Mom. That is my story. I found out I was pregnant just as I realized that the relationship with my sons dad was not appropriate for me. The confusion and the hsame of divorce was huge for me that I began to contemplate suicide. Life as a divorced woman was just not an option I had ever been told is allowed or allowable. But I knew that ending my life would end the innocent life inside me who came there through no fault or no choice of his or hers - and so instead I focused on building a life for the two of us. I worked on my degree and getting a job and an apartment. This worked out with lots of bumps along the road until he was nearly five when mental health struggles caught up to me and luckily family stepped in. I am lucky their support and care of him kept him off the street and out of foster care, most moms with mental illness cant say the same, but he has still not had it easy as a result of my mental health struggles. Their support of us included support of our relationship which added to the pain and the joy and we are both lucky that many times over the years I have had the opportunity to step up and connect especially at pivotal moments such as during covid when he was alone without friends and I was able to entertain and talk to him for hours, the letters we sent back and forth, and being able to attend his bar mitzva surrounded by family. But never ever would I say he has been a burden or a curse. Going back to that woman who thinks she is a role model - though I certainly am not a role model as a mother, one thing is clear from my story that I hope you dear reader will learn from. Motherhood is the greatest blessing on earth.