according to her real self. Just like the question of what is a real woman, or a real man, the answer lies within, not outside in anyone else's definition.
   Realness equates with individuality, that ability to be true to the spirit of oneself. Gradually, one must find one's real nature, and subsequently have the courage to enact it. Yoga and meditation are excellent methods to discover this true nature, and daily life is the testing 

ground for its self expression. Admittedly there will be times when your maternal convictions will clash with others in your household, extended family or society, because so much of mainstream life is anti-motherhood, anti-real-motherhood that is. Dig deep, find the truth, be real, be bold, be brave - live your life empowered by the knowledge and strength of your innate maternal power.

   Here we go again! Another of those very controversial topics where there are two opposing sides to the argument and a broad field of mixed compromise in the middle. At one end of the spectrum we have those who believe that a mother should focus solely on the upbringing of her children, contentedly maintaining the family home life for the duration of their childhood. The latest figures show 30% of mothers do not work outside the home at all. At the other end are the 30% of mothers who work full time. Some of these admit to being career focussed - "I would never think of changing my employment status simply because I decided to have children", whilst others are more needful of the income which work provides. And in between are the 40% of mothers trying to create a life of happy compromise.
   I believe, that except for those who greatly desire professional careers in rejection of motherhood or in tandem with it, most women - given equal financial status with other workers, and better social support for such a role - would, deep down, prefer to make the job of mothering their primary focus. But I could be wrong because, nowadays, more and more, fulltime motherhood is frequently being portrayed as some dreary, dead-end option. The "working poor", by their own admission, are getting nowhere - they work "just to keep their head above water". The life of the tertiary-qualified, well off, professional supermum is still (although lesseningly thank God) being portrayed as the Truly Modern Woman, whilst the massive aspiring middle class of part or full-time working mothers is painted as "the place to be", "where you can have the best of both worlds".   Certainly the present focus in the media and the socio-political financial incentives are geared mostly to this last group. So who would want to be a fulltime, stay-at-home mum with those stereotypical

portrayals to live up to?  
   In the end, any debate about mothering options most often comes down to one's personal lifestyle choices, financial needs, desire for social contact, creative self expression, relationship arrangements, extended family proximity, and many other on-the-ground factors. But the guiding principle which underlies and steers all such factors arises from something which is not spoken about much these days, and that is the true value of motherhood.

The Value of Motherhood
   Today, any mother, grandmother, feminist or social researcher will tell you that a mother's input to her family and to society is a much undervalued asset. Undervalued in economic terms, undervalued in terms of social capital, undervalued in terms of simple human apprecia-tion. Like many, I believe that a mother's work of raising children is extremely valuable to society. Irrespective of the monetary value economists may one day put upon a mother's labours, we must all continue to work for the proper recognition and reimbursement this vocation deserves.
   But more than any value outsiders may put upon our mothering, the bottom line is what value do we personally consider it to have? It is this assessment which most directly causes what we get out of it ourselves as well as what our children, family and society get out of it. If, for example, you consider motherhood to be your highest calling, it will no doubt become the passion and success story of your life. If on the other hand you are fairly lukewarm about it, don't be surprised if the personal rewards are equally nondescript.
   The psychological value we place on anything and anyone is often nothing other than a projection of our own selves. Those with a strong purpose and self