Any of you other stay-at-home (or mostly stay-at-home) Mamas struggle with this from time to time? The question of: "What do you do?" You know, for like, a living? Lately as I've been meeting new neighbors in the hood, I've found myself shying away from this. One time I even found myself answering, "Well, I taught high school for 5 years. Special education... Taught a ninth grade English class for students with learning disabilities. And after I had our son I decided..." What?! First of all, the question was, what DO you do. Currently. Present tense. Not did. Do. If I asked someone that question and they started giving me their resume, I'd raise a brow.
So I think I need to practice it more: I'm a Mother. I'm a Mother. I'm a MOTHER and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. Sure I work part-time for Brookside, but I am first and foremost a Mother. Around about 90% of the time, want-to-miss-out-on-as-little-as-humanly-possible-in-my-precious-babies'-lives-Mother. God created this desire in me and put the gifts there too (thank you Jesus for access to your unending patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, whatever I need, when I need it, through your Spirit). I was made for this and I embrace it with all that I have. I'm a Mother. And I'm proud of that. Dammit.
:)
5 comments:
Good post! I can identify with that - not as mother, yet - but with us raising support currently. I dread the "so, what do you do?" question, but God's been showing me that this is the path He has and to be joyful in what He's providing.
i felt/feel the same way since we came to c-town.
I used to get anxiety meeting people for THAT question alone...especially when brett was around.
They ask brett "what do you do?"
B- "oh i own my own business and..'on and on'"
"and what do you do?" (asking me as his wife)
Me- "uuhhh i work at Starbucks and giant eagle."
"oh what did you go to college for?"
Me- "special ed"
"OH! are you going to do anything with that?"
By this time im so annoyed i just say "naaa"
And then they say- "oh there are lots of schools in need of a special ed teacher...you should 'fil in the blank'"
NOw i find myself saying "i work at Giant Eagle" But im actually thinking, "but i manage 2 of my own departments...sooooo does that count for anything.....ya know...give me any worth in your eyes?"
No, my identity is in Jesus. Gotta keep telling myself in that.
AMEN to that!
AAH you guys! I was just talking about this yesterday with Matt. About how I've not been happy working, I've not been fully happy in school. And then I think I may be fully happy as a stay at home mom, like _____ (fill in the blank). And, I constantly try to compare myself to you lovely stay at home moms, thinking "why don't I create ___, prep ___ for our baby..." and so on it goes. And then I realize I'm probably working 50 hours a week as a student and wife! I struggle to leave comparison behind. What I need is contentment my friends, in who I am as an individual, and in the place God has called me for this season. Can I find it? I hope so, in Him.
jsut found the best quote for this. AND its a C.S. Lewis quote which makes it even better
"The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career. "
— C.S. Lewis
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