Homemaking

Recently, I met an old friend that I used to work with when I was a teacher. I knew that his wife had recently had a baby, and I asked how things were going. He told me everything was great and proudly showed me the latest baby pictures. I asked, "So, is she going back to work soon?" He replied, "Of course! She's not one to sit around all day on her a@*!" He went on to ask me what I was doing now, and he was a bit embarrassed when I told him I was a stay-at-home mom.

I am so thankful to be a full-time mom. I am thankful that I have a husband who supports my desire to be home with my daughter. After working full time and taking my daughter to a babysitter every day, I now treasure every moment I have with her. I love that I am the one teaching her, playing with her, and molding her character. In two short years, she will start kindergarten. Until then, I want to cherish my time as a homemaker and mother.

I can honestly say that there are some things I miss about being a school counselor. I miss knowing that I was making a difference in the lives of struggling children. I miss my friends at work. I miss the mental challenges of my job. I even miss the crisis that would make each day unique and exciting.

What I don't miss about the time I was employed is having a disorganized household, spending more money on "conveniences", eating take-out, stressing about the circumstances of children in my school, being tired all the time, and letting my babysitter spend more quality time with Grace than myself.

There are women out there who have done it all and done it well, but I'm just not one of those women. I love that I can now spend our money more wisely. I can spend more time in reading and personal devotions. I can prepare each meal with healthy ingredients. I can focus more on my husband and his needs. I can do fun things with Grace without being exhausted. Basically, I can put my faith and family first.

The day will probably come when I go back to work, but until then, the satisfaction I get by focusing on my roles as wife and mother are much more valuable to me than an extra paycheck.