The Wit and Wisdom of Rahm Emanuel's Mother

The October issue of Carolina Parent features articles typical of such magazines: "Breast Cancer Survivors Share Stories of Triumph," "Sweet, Sugar-Free Halloween Treats," and "Preserving Digital Memories that Matter." Words of encouragement fill the pages--from how to prepare for teacher conferences to how to garden with your kids. The darker sides of "parenting" skirt around the magazine's edges, however; snippets on childhood fears and lying are about as dark as it gets (not counting, of course, the unmentioned stories of mothers who didn't survive cancer).

Our so-called "parenting culture" is full of saccharine. The feelings of despair, fear, and anger that often accompany raising children are rarely acknowledged.

How refreshing, then, to read an interview with Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel in Time Magazine (October 17, 2011), in which he's asked about parental favoritism. "Was there a favorite in the Emanuel family?" asks the interviewer. The mayor responds, "I used to say to my mother, 'You love Zeke more than you love me.' She said, 'No, I hate you all equally.'"

Hooray for Mrs. Emanuel! However fleeting--or not so fleeting--her sentiment was, we need honest and funny voices like hers more than ever. For the humor helps us face the dark stuff, the places we'd rather not go. But go we must, for the sake of our kids and, ultimately, for ourselves.