Eve is still having a hard time keeping her eyes open when the flash goes off
Yesterday was one of Scott's co-worker's last day of work before going on maternity leave. She is in her late-thirties and will soon be having her first child. At a meeting/going away party (composed of 15 people, 10 of which were women) yesterday someone asked how long her leave was. She replied that she would be taking six months off. And then one of the other ladies at the meeting asked the group how many of them thought she would last the full six months.
Did I hear Scott correctly!? Last six months? The conversation that followed was made up different "mothers" saying how long they lasted before coming back to work, some returning in as few as three days. Here are some of the comments that were made:
[While putting dirty rags in the washer] Did I get my PhD for this?
You'll come back when you want some adult conversation rather than just the 'playground talk.'
[Someone else] Oh that's not an adult conversation!
I don't know any of these women but my heart went out to their children. Do they really think that their life's work is at the office and not caring for and teaching their own children? Apparently the answer is yes.
After Scott told me all this last night I promised myself to be a good example of a stay-at-home mom and homemaker. Here are some of my goals and I am preserving them here in cyber-space so you can remind me if I get off track:
- Be happy and cheerful in my role
- Keep my mind active by
-read interesting books
- have intelligent conversations (talk about ideas and not things/people)
- explore new topics and areas of interest
- Keep my body fit and healthy
- Look nice (this one's can be a hard one for me but I need to remember that I am capable of showering, fixing my hair, putting on mascara and shaving my legs on a more regular basis than I have been known to do)
- Develop new skills and talents (sewing is my latest)
If any of you see my slacking off I give you permission to say "Hey didn't you write on your blog once that you were going to be happy and cheerful? How's that going for you?"
Raised in a small South Dakota mining town where he learned the value of a sturdy pickaxe and native tubers, Scott is a man's man who knows the meaning of the word testosterone. Apart from devouring freshly slain beasts of the forest, Scott enjoys sharpening his tools, lifting heavy objects, and throwing a ball at a hoop suspended ten feet off of the ground. He also enjoys Romantic Era poetry and Italian cooking.
3 comments:
Good for you Rebekah! I admit that more than few times I have missed going to work- the immediate gratification of adult praise from doing a good job, whereas Belize isn't exactly telling me I'm a great mom every time I handle a situation wisely. BUT I feel that I have grown 100 times more in my personal growth than I ever did or could at work. I truly believe children are the greatest life teachers.
I love your goals. Good for you! You look beautiful in that picture!
that is why you rock my world. dang i miss you guys.
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