Hymn To A Good Wife

Let that settle in for a minute.

What does that look like to you? What does that look like for me?

For me, I’ve struggled most of my adult life with what my purpose or calling from God would be. If you’re a working mom, God bless you.. I don’t know how you do it. And to boot, you get scrutinized for not staying home with your kids. Us that stay home, get scrutinized for not working and earning a paycheck. Neither of us can seem to win.

But for a moment, I want to share my struggle with feeling inadequate or “not enough”, because I am a homemaker. I mean, I do wear many hats. I am a photographer, I do write and we all know I love to cook. But my main gig is being a homemaker. Seems like it’s frowned upon more and more. I constantly worry when asked what  I “do” comes up. I worry of the judgement of what others think. I don’t “do” anything all day, or that the entire load as on my poor husband. I did not go to college. Not for my lack of want. But each of us has a different story, a different experience that not all know about. For a long time, I thought I missed my calling of a few things. For one, being a nurse. But that would’ve meant my circumstances would have had to have been much different. It is what it is.

I have stressed when around others my age, that have gone to college and have what are considered real careers and what  their thoughts of me are. Do they consider me less than?

I’m realizing I am not less than. I am exactly on the path that God chose for me. Each person has their path and their experiences that make up them. I would not be suited for their path and they would not be for mine. And thats OKAY.

While reading this verse today, I could not help but feel like something was written for me. Written recognition for the work I do for my family each day. Is my husband our bread winner? Yes. But I am his support. His listening ear. Caring for him so that his load is a little bit less. I am his help mate. He has his role in our family, and I have mine. My home is my work. My family is my work. Looking after their needs is my work. We are a team. For our family, our team is made up with one whom works outside of the home and one who works in the home.

The word “hearth” was mentioned. Though I knew it rerefernced a fireplace, I did not know that it is also used as a symbol of home (ha, see, that’s where the college part would’ve been helpful 😂).

To all of you out there, with college under your belts and careers, teams as husband and wife both supporting..

To all of you mama’s that have a career and still have all of the homemaking to come home and do..

To all of the mama’s that have a career and are a team with your husband pulling the load together..

You are amazing.

And to me, being the homemaker and striving to be the “Good Wife”, I’m pretty amazing myself and proud to be the keeper of my hearth.