I have a guy friend who I haven't seen since before the Babe was born. Kind of difficult when you live hours apart, or when I would come in town and barely had time to see my immediate family. Via an email, he asked if I was still "playing housewife". I don't think he realized how dangerous that phrase was, unless he was kidding. That is the problem with the written word, you can't always grasp the tone of the author. However, I think it was not a joke, but a poor choice of words.
There have been days when I think back to when I had a career that required me to wear a business suit and depose highly respected medical professionals or appear before judges to argue motions, and wonder, if they could only see me now. Singing songs off key with made up words that don't rhyme and probably don't make much sense. Elbow deep in a dirty diaper. Doing what seems like hundreds of loads of washes, doing the dishes, cooking, baking, grocery shopping, and picking up my husband's dry-cleaning. I've become that 1950s woman I swore I wouldn't. Well, I haven't started sewing my own clothes. Being a homemaker made my mother very happy, but I never saw myself in that role. I do hope to return to the workforce, and bounce between wanting to now, RIGHT NOW, or someday down the road (those are my 3 time-tables for working depending on my mood and level of sleep).
Anyhow, I am not a housewife. I did not marry my house. I am a stay-at-home mom. Please note the difference. I did not marry my house. My career right now is my child and her well-being. Did I think 10 years ago when I was working very hard to finish my law degree that this was where I'd be now? Yes and no. Does it really matter? Nope. I have a happy child who I get wonderful kisses and hugs from, and still likes to snuggle with me. That beats winning an oral argument in court any day.
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Aileen,
ReplyDeleteEnjoy every minute at home with the Allergy Babe, because they grow up way too fast! One day she probably won't want to be seen with you (when my sister was a teenager she and my mom were at the mall and my sister saw some of her friends and she started crying because her friends had seen her at the mall with her MOM!!!!)
And I totally agree that people choose their words poorly. I get the "so, what do you do all day long with 2 kids in school?" And my personal favorite: "Don't you feel like you've wasted your law degree?"