A Paean for Conservatives and Traditionalists--Pippa, Trump and Little Homebodies

Late last year I was praying for a book that would ground me both in holiday traditions/ basic entertaining--what to do for them, what to cook, how to even make it possible, even special. God answered that prayer that same day by letting me see in a college bookstore "Celebrate" by Pippa Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge's sister. I am a newbie to home things, though a wife for some years. I have been schooled in the feminist strain; work would be my mission, usefulness in the public sphere, etc. Ultimately a doctor, I gobbled this philosophy until I found myself dissatisfied, in conflict with the very man who meant the world to me, for I realized, my career/ career-orientedness, desire to make my mark in my work assignments, left me zero time to invest to make a home homey, a marriage happy. And it had been one, blessed with all the chances to succeed, for it was a love relationship between two avowed soulmates at that. I realized then I could not, should not serve two masters. One had to go.

I felt God calling me, partly shored by reading, prayer and numerous spiritual directors, that marriage would be my way to leave my mark in the world, if not through anything else. (Though that is not true, for I felt a satisfaction that I did my part, my best, even my all, in the job when I was in it, and that I could move on, truly pass the baton to someone else, and go to the nest and best and finest phase--the vocation of being a wife, which is why I married, lived, yearned for male forever-partnership, in the first place).

I felt books like Pippa's book would give a home ingenue like me the outlines, the quick tips, the must-know recipes and how-to-pull-off holiday parties in one volume and I took to it. Later did I find, it was vilified by the press when it was published, for it was too simple and possibly too pricey, for Penguin Books gave her a $400K advance. But I enjoyed the book, loved its photography, loved its arrangement by the seasons, which anchors the parties inherent in each one (winter brings Christmas, New Year, Burns Night).It was a collection of the best and coziest of Britain in a most accessible way. It had appetizers, drinks, food, games, crafts, general tips (how to conduct the basic things--a picnic, wrapping gifts, work a Christmas timeline, basic categories of presentation dishes--slate, porcelain, baskets, buckets...). I learned how to sterilize for canning--cleaned and washed jars in boiling water for 10 minutes, followed by another two minutes in a 250 degree oven. I learned how to make jam--fruit, half its weight of sugar, pectin. (Test a portion on a saucer, if it makes a wrinkly film, you're done.)

It was laid-back and no-nonsense. For starters, but also for somebody more advanced (spinach roulade for a picnic, also a big boule extracted of some of the bread and packed with the meat, condiments and green and just tied like a package, ready to be cut into wedges at the picnic site). This was written, after all, by one former editor of a party/ entertaining site. It seems that the vilification was standard fare for Pippa, whom the general public seems to have just launched into kind and worshipful mode for her sister.

It is the same as for Obama in general. The media dotes on him and his family, Michelle's fashion choices, his multi-cuturalness.It seems almost out of place to criticise him, for one can almost hear the hisses coming--racist! Trump, meanwhile, and his team get this rant all the time, even if unfounded. Like Trump, Breitbart CEO Steve Bannon, his Chief of Staff-apparent, is called anti-Semitic, from sheer salaciousness, viciousness, liberal hatemongering. Many people do not even pause to consider the veracity of their news sources, which seem for the most part agenda-driven. No mainstream journalism enterprise seems to have escaped the largesse given by the Hillary-Soros machine.

But back to Pippa. Poor Pippa, from the initial scorn of the humble book's aim, which was clearly stated to present the Brit holiday experience (which it did so fabulously, that for a moment I thought British are human and warm and child-friendly too) didn't gather sales, which made her second effort very brave (but also didn't lead to more sales). But this constant withering reception by the press probably could make a celebrity cave or sue. Not everyone has crisis management teams behind them like Angelina Jolie or the satan-worshiping Iluminati. But this is precisely why God looks with favor on his lowly ones, in this case, the hounded ones like David, raised high ultimately over Saul, persecuting him over jealousy, which is many a reason for character-shredding.

God sent a billionaire beau for Pippa, who as his wife someday will not have to worry about the petty media bickering about her, her employment with her parents or her status as a royal/non-royal with or without a purpose. God made Trump win colossally, with Steve Bannon, Irish Catholic film/ media mogul lumped as "fringe", leading his campaign and later his commandering. Even on one's homefront, I hear my mom cheering that two of my cousins gave up their lucrative jobs to be full-time mommies to their kids, even repeating one relative's praise of her daughter, which I find the ultimate: "She knows how to take care of children really well." When my mother asks me about my girlfriend, a fellow doctor who has children, if she has returned to work, I tell her, "Why should she? Her husband makes enough." Once upon a time, this would have met with complaints, condescension, in the same way my position for Trump had made them be on attack mode. But they are now seeing the beautiful reason behind it all. When one sticks it out, we will get to where we ultimately have to be.

The career women in our circles, including myself and even my own mother, have seen, it is the home where women make best their mark. The men can get their Hollywood, their White House, their hospital practice pat. Women can get there too, if they are not seeing to stay or be in happy marriages. (My dad noticed that there were women often asking for tools for home repair and my husband replied it is because many women chose to stay unmarried. I breathed a sign of relief; I do not have to be tasked to work the plumbing myself because I chose to stay and be happily married. Such is the protection and provision in a marriage. This frees me to do so much more, like write, advocate, be present for my spouse, friends and family.)

Hillary, it seems, in the sad workaholic streak which we were all infected at one point, yearned for the best and ultimate prize in her liberal feminist world: first female president of the USA. It seems a wife to a president would be enough, for it would have provided the White House experience, if she was Bill's true friend and commiserator. A grandmother would have been great for the Clintons have cash, as well as long careers, not to mention State Secretary for Hillary. But Hillary never felt these were good enough. Just as the media finds Pippa not good enough, nor Trump, even though they have nothing ill towards the media at first. In junking decency or a sincere offering for "something more worthy", the media/ liberal elite/Hillary camp got their manufactured/ hyped-up version/ scandal-plagued version of worthy.

There will always be the haters: people are already dismissing Pippa as a mere trophy wife-to-be and people will look for Trump to trip. and will whine "why was Hillary not crowned" and why are stay-at-home mothers forgoing their own destiny with the world. But after they chose to pushback on these lies or not, the persons themselves will ignore the gossip, for the gossip machine will know when Truth confronts them. The people Big Media of the Secular World have belittled will have their lives as a fine example, even if only in the sanctuary of their homes. And that, and its heavenly reward, is what matters.