I loved being a homemaker. Loved being able to care for my family, help my kids discover their potential and reach for the top, help my husband with the details of his life so he could focus on his work and the tasks before him. Be available for my friends when they were hurting, able to drop everything just to listen.
But I wasn't really a homemaker. My husband was always self employed and I have always done his bookkeeping, we have owned rental property that fell to me to manage and I have sat on the board at our church as well as starting and leading various ministries. I was very much working during those years I wasn't making any money.
One of the ideas that continually motivated me during those years is what I refer to as "the new family farm". I am intrigued by the idea of the family farm. Kids and parents working together to care for animals and produce a harvest. Work together, play together, live and love together. Creating a strong healthy family. That is what I felt like we were doing during those years I was at home. Our kids were part of our lives, our son helped us clean our commercial building each week emptying trash and vacuuming, we discussed business plans over dinner, I collected rent with a baby carrier under my arm and delivered drawings between grocery shopping and piano lessons.
With the industrial revolution came a separation in family life. Now we all have our own thing, parents and kids, and then we come back together in the evenings to compare notes and take care of the family details. Having done it this past year I can say that while I continue to feel involved in my families life it isn't the same as shared experiences and frankly, it is exhausting. There are good and bad in everything but given the choice I would rather work with my family.
So my number one motivation as I go forward is to bring my family back together. This is what drives me.
What drives you?
If the family were a boat, it would be a canoe that
makes no progress unless everyone paddles.
LETTY COTTIN POGREBIN, Family and
Politics
No comments:
Post a Comment