Has My Biological Imperative Passed Its Expiration Date?

Yesterday my afternoon was punctuated by two hysterical phone calls, one each from my children.  Interestingly enough, both yelled the same message, I have failed abysmally as a mother raising the other.  Normally this would not phase me as I am in total agreement with both, but it did make me wonder.

We all have heard A LOT about the biological imperative of men, spread their seed, spread their seed and spread their seed.   We get it already.  And remember here men, I am not talking about your moral imperative.

So what is a woman's biological imperative?  It can't be just provide the egg, because that is not going to help anyone without a womb to put it in.   It can't be just provide the womb because the creature that emerges from that womb isn't going to make it on its own. So, and remember this is just my take on this, it must be to make sure that helpless, fishy-eyed, hairless, wrinkled alien survives.  As a matter of fact, our biology is fighting so hard to insure infant survival we are convinced our own existence is dependent upon our success.  We believe our life would have no meaning if we fail at this job.  We are so involved that the endless crying, pooping and spitting only make us more determined.  The more difficult the baby the more we believe we are the only one who can do it.

Some mothers, the GOOD ones, never stop feeling this way.   These mothers are as passionate about their grown children as they were the infants they once were.

Then there is me.

I am not sure if my BI (biological imperative) sprung a leak, or if maybe I just didn't get the fully supply.  I like to believe that my kids were so incredibly difficult that I used it all up.  But I am sure it is gone, gone, gone.