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| Ready for the Oven by Jennie Brownscombe |
“I'm only a housewife, I'm afraid."
How often do we hear this shocking admission. I'm afraid when I hear it I feel very angry indeed.
Only a housewife: only a practitioner of one of the two most noble professions (the other one is that of a farmer); only the mistress of a huge battery of high and varied skills and custodian of civilization itself.
Only a typist, perhaps! Only a company director, or a nuclear physicist; only a barrister; only the President!
When a woman says she is a housewife she should say it with the utmost pride, for there is nothing higher on this planet to which she could aspire.”
~ John Seymour (aka "Father of Self-Sufficiency")
Excerpt from Forgotten Household Crafts: A Portrait of the Way We Once Lived
Excerpt from Forgotten Household Crafts: A Portrait of the Way We Once Lived
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."
~ Proverbs 31: 10
Very good reminder!! I used to say "Only". To my shame.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! love this post!!!
ReplyDeleteSo true.. As Tasha Tudor used to say...
ReplyDeleteOne can stir jam and read Shakespeare.. smille..
Yes, that happens to be a favorite quote :) I shared it here:
Deletehttp://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2013/03/lemon-honey-marmalade-no-sugar.html
Have a wonderful week!
Amen! I have sometimes used that word "only" when talking about being a stay-at-home-mom. Thank you, JES, for this wonderful reminder! Have a blessed week :)
ReplyDeleteI happened over here from Raising Homemakers. Yes, this seems to be a common temptation for women in every generation. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete(Funny, it reminded me of another quote my friend just put up on our blog:
http://mothersarehome.blogspot.com/2013/10/you-are-just-mother.html )
Thank you for this reminder in a world where it seems as this profession almost seems to be looked down upon. It is a HARD job and one that should not be taken so lightly as it is. Not only is the physical hard but the mental part, the second guessing how you handle every situation and question, is even more trying. (in my opinion and life anyway!) Sharing! <3 your blog ~ Erika from MishMashedMe
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing Erika! It is HARD for those who care but God gives us grace and strength to make it through! Glad to hear you take your job seriously! :)
DeleteIt seems there is plenty of encouragement for mothers to be housewives, but I find a great dearth of that same encouragement after the kids have grown and flown the nest. I never had a moment's doubt that I belonged at home once I quit my job to homeschool my son from 1st grade on. No argument, disdain, or "what a waste" comments dampened my spirits in the least! I was so thankful and privileged to be a housewife. I pitied the other moms who were missing out on the beautiful life I had.
ReplyDeleteThen my son left home and started his own family. For many private reasons, I got a job 6 months ago. I make really good money. I am advancing and doing very well. While I am there, I enjoy every minute of my time. I love the work that I do. I love the people around me. It is a great atmosphere! But my home is not a home anymore. It is just a house. It is a place to keep our stuff and sleep. I work 1st shift and my husband works 2nd. We only see each other on the weekends. Then it is time to catch up on all the work I couldn't get to through the week. ( I go look after my Mom when I get off of work, because...well...it's too much to explain, but she has become dependent on me since she was widowed for the second time.)
I feel I should quit and come back home. That's where I belong. Where I'm happiest. But now, I wonder if that is fair to my husband. Here I have a job I love, and I'm going to quit. He has worked at a job he's hated for 17 years, and feels trapped there. Why should I get the 'warm fuzzy' while he gets nothing but misery 8 hours every day? I had hoped he'd try to find a different job while I was working, because he'd have to take a cut in pay until he'd worked up. But that never happened. Don't think it ever will. Change scares him too much.
So my question is, can you point me to some resources regarding this? Am I being selfish to quit my job to stay home and play house while he doesn't have the option of quitting?
Good morning Candi May, Thank you for taking the time to share! I don't know enough about your circumstances to give any solid advice nor can I point you in any direction besides your husband and prayer. I suggest praying for wisdom and finding out what your husband's thoughts are on the matter. Combine the two and God grant you the answer...
DeleteAlso, regarding the empty nest, here is something that may be helpful to you ~
http://strangersandpilgrimsonearth.blogspot.com/2014/06/grandmothers-project-table.html
Have a lovely week, JES :)
Thank you JES. I remember that article. Lovely! I know there is much I can do as a housewife with no children. My mother can no longer drive and has to ask friends to take her to dr. apts. and my husband is almost lost without me being home 24/7 for him. But at the same time, he's scared for me to quit because of the money and then he would be trapped again with no option of leaving his job. He doesn't know what he wants me to do. Poor fella. If I'd never left home to begin with, we wouldn't be in this predicament!!
DeleteThanks for responding. As far as prayer, I couldn't wait to come in after work and read your response, in hopes that it was God's answer to my unceasing, "Lord, I don't know what to do !" prayer. Lol.
So true! I told my daughter I could put on my resume acquisitions and procurement. ~smile~ I was going into the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Laura of Harvest Lane Cottag
~still reading through!