Defining my Job

I never read the book Eat, Pray, Love. I don't know that much about it. I remember reading the description and deciding I probably would never read it. I just saw the author on Oprah on her episode on marriages around the world. The author was talking about marriage in a mocking way. She was saying how "they" would have us believe that marriage is between "one man and one woman" and has always been that way. She went on to say how in ancient times it was mostly one man and multiple women. She's not wrong. Marriage has evolved into one man and one woman. And it is much different in the sense of roles that a husband and wife play. She went on to say that she has friends that would like to marry they just don't want to be a wife. She doesn't know anyone that wants to be a wife (she actually said that). I guess she needs to meet me. She says word "wife" like it is bad thing be.

Defining my role as a wife is my way of taking a stance on marriage being what God wants for us here in this day and that is A Man and A Woman Married legally and lawfully.

I am a traditionalist in the sense that I wanted to marry, and I wanted to have a family, and I wanted to stay home to raise my children. In the way that I believe that God and family should be the priorities of every person.

I see my job as this: I am the manager, the boss. I make sure things are in order in the home the cleaning has been done, the appliances are working and things like that. I make sure that the children are taken care of schooling, clothing, doctor's visits, activities and so on. I make sure bills are paid and finances are in order (Shad is starting to participate in this one a bit more, thanks to mint.com.... and Randy). I take care of the nutrition, grocery shopping, and cooking and cleaning dishes. I make sure this is all in order so that when Shad isn't at work we can be together as a family making memories and having quality time. Now when Shad isn't working so many hours, I see my load lightening a bit.

I think my job is very fulfilling (yes very hard and frustrating at times). I chose this because I saw my mother and the mothers of my friends. I saw how they kept everything running smoothly and lovingly. In my teenage years I made the decision that I wanted this to be my primary job. I even had a hard time narrowing down a major in college because none of them specifically said wife, mother, home manager. I am aware that this job, the way I am able to do it, is in great part to the man I married. He allows me and helps to be the wife how I want to, without complaint. I hope my girls choose to be wives in a similar sense. I feel accomplishment when I hear Shad's grateful tone, because I was able to make his life easier in some way; when his co-resident (a woman) says she needs a wife.

This is what I want and where I want to be.