O-mama - Opinionated Moms

Photo Associated Press

UPDATE 7/1/11- Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released from house arrest, because the credibilty of the maid who accused him of raping her has been damaged.  Apparently, evidence suggests that there was a "sexual encounter" between the two, but because she invented a story about being gang raped in order to gain political asylum in the U.S., the charges she's made about Strauss-Kahn violently assaulting her are in question.  The charges against him have not been lifted and his passport has been retained by authorities, so he will remain in the U.S.  The next court session will be July 18.  A bientot!

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Dominique Strauss-Kahn (aka super powerful international banking guy) has resigned as chief of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and has been released on bail after being indicted on several felony charges, including rape.  Strauss-Kahn is awaiting trial after being accused of raping a hotel maid.  His heiress wife, Anne Sinclair, a former television journalist, who gave up her career to support her husband, has rushed to his side and is supporting him.  She says, ”I don’t believe for a single second the accusations of sexual assault by my husband.  I am certain his innocence will be proved.”  This is not the first time that she has had to protect him through sex and financial scandal.   Three years ago, for example, she stood by him through allegations of an affair with a colleague at the IMF.

MOMism: “Money can't buy you love.”  We teach our kids that superficial "things" cannot bring happiness and contentment.  We teach our kids that love is more important than money.  But, seemingly, more and more people with lots and lots of money are self-destructing.  Why?  What is it that pushes them to want what they don't have?  To push the boundaries of their lives to the point of disaster?  Power? Drive?  Ambition?  Insanity?  Is there a line that can be drawn between a healthy quest and an insatiable appetite for more, more, more?

What's going on?  Why all the bold, brazen bad behavior? Boredom. Yep - we know when our kids are surrounded by every toy on the planet, they get bored, so they knock something down or throw something to get attention.  They don't even see what is around them.  They don't appreciate it.  They don't value it.  They want more stuff.  New stuff.  Any stuff.  They want something or someone to entertain them.  To do for them.  They are narcissists and their imagination and ability to dig deep inside and figure it out doesn't exist.  They don't have self-control...it has to be learned.  They need to be held accountable for their actions or they won't ever get beyond their own wants.  MAMAs are supposed to be teaching our kids to evolve beyond their immediate gratification - to share - to have empathy - to think outside the box and have the capacity to fill their lives with love, not stuff, so when they are all grown up and running the IMF, they won't think they can do whatever they want with whomever they want cuz they want to do it.

How do we teach our kids to be strong and powerful - in life and love?

Give them a box.  Not an X Box, but a cardboard box.  Strip away some of the stuff and let's teach our kids the simple joys of life and love...laugh and play...climb a tree...scrape a knee...dinner together...so, they can grow up to appreciate what is real and true.  If we can teach our kids that simple perspective than maybe they can have both - love & money.  Because if not, they are going to push push push for more more more and they will cross the line between right and wrong into the world of "the ends justify the means, so who cares how I get it as long as it's mine."  The world where people can be bought and sold and treated like objects.  The world where the rules don't apply to people with a lot of money.  That's a sad place to be for anyone...the man self-destructing, the woman standing next to him, the woman allegedly abused by him, the children watching and the rest of us wondering what in the world is going on?!