Laundry, dishes, cooking, laundry, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills, laundry, laundry, laundry! There are times when it seems that my life has been reduced to some version of this list of chores. There is nothing glamorous or fascinating about these duties. They don't make good cocktail party conversation. "Hi, I'm Alexis. I fold clothes efficiently."
Sometimes I even feel just a teensy bit resentful that I am my family's servant, catering to their every need, (well ... most of them anyway). Then I remember that this is my job. I applied for it, "Oh please, please, please let us have a baby!" I aced the interview, "I think it's best that I stay home for at least the first three years." And I accepted the terms of the contract, "...and all household chores."
Every job has its aspects of drudgery as well as its joys. Sometimes we tend to compare the best of one world with the worst of the other, as in, "I used to travel to exotic places for my work, and now all I do is laundry." (This was a hypothetical situation, as I never traveled anywhere exotic as a teacher. It's still difficult for me to remember the best of that world. But I digress...) Anyway, this isn't a fair comparison, and it leads to all sorts of misgivings about our current situation. These misgivings take us away from the present moment, which is a glorious time when we are actually IN it.
I suggest we compare apples to apples. When I start feeling the grumblings set in, I compare the worst of this job with the worst of my former job. Instantly I am cheered, because in comparison to that, laundry isn't all that bad. And then I compare the best of this job with the absolute best of the former one, and for me, the upside of this job just can't be beat.
This perspective helps me accept - no, relish this time for what it is. In acceptance of the moment, there is not only sanity, but also peace and happiness. And who couldn't use a little more of that?
Perspective for the Stay-at-Home-Mom
