The Age Old Debate...

Since I now consider my job pretty much over since there is just one day left, I now have to give you the take on the whole working thing: quite simply I am amazed at how working mothers manage. First off, let me clarify that I in no way think that being a stay-at-home mom is in any way easy. I know how spent and defeated one can feel when faced with constant needs and endless laundry. However, when I was working the constant needs didn't stop nor did the laundry (I will seriously be doing 12 weeks worth of laundry this next week!).

Now I do have to say that the working woman has the amazing blessing of adult conversation. Don't underestimate it's power. I had forgotten how great it is to make new friends and get to talk to them over lunch. Sure, in the teaching profession it's basically a 15 minute lunch but being professionals we managed to sneak lots of laughs in.

I think whether you're a working or a workin' at homer it's just hard. A couple of weeks from now as I change yet another dirty diaper I'm sure I will be longing for those rushed lunches in a 2nd grade classroom, but for the next week here are the things I will not take for granted (and God bless those working because I don't know how they do it):

1. Making phone calls during the day. Sure some are just to chat but especially the business ones there are no time for when working.
2. A long quiet time. Yes, I'm admitting this fell to the wayside as I hurried to get 5 people fed dressed and 5 lunches packed in the mornings. Sadly, I lost it when I probably needed it most.
3. The possibility of a nap. They rarely happen. Jon and I have a term for it: "The Perfect Storm" of all 4 kids asleep or quietly engaged.
4.Wearing my embarassing well-loved pajamas ALL DAY!
5. Lying in the floor and being climbed like a jungle gym by two beautiful, funny 1 year olds.
6. Blogging. Enough said.
7. Having lunch with my husband.
8. Stealing 5 minutes here and there to read for pleasure.
9. Being able to leave my family at night for fun (hopefully scrapbooking one day) without guilt.
10. PERHAPS having the energy to cook.
11. Getting to be with my kids when they are sick instead of seeing if anyone else can or spending 2 hours planning for a sub!
12. HGTV
13. Shopping when Kroger is empty.
14. Eating what I feel like from my fridge instead of what I had time to grab in the morning.
15. Sitting down, sounds simple but it's glorious.

So, here's my final 10 cents worth (and that's probably all it's worth): Having done both, for me anyway, the difference was:

Being a working mother is physically exhausting. Working all day and going non-stop only to come home and without a break start the dinner, bath, homework and bedtime ritual after which you keep working to prepare to start all over again the next day. It makes me want to lie down and cry just thinking about it. Not to mention those many nights when Jon was out of town and I had to do it by myself (I can't even imagine what it must be like to be a single mom. I'm not worthy to even write about them!). Thinking about it now I have no idea how I survived it. I guess it's one of those things when you look back and realize God was carrying you, which reminds me I need to pray for my working friends more!

For me on the other hand, being a stay-at-home mom is mentally exhausting. With the absence of adult conversation (for me any way) I have conversation with myself in which I beat myself up with guilt that the house isn't perfect and the kids had cheese and turkey for lunch again today. Somehow my value as a person becomes tied to my competency as a housekeeper/perfect mom and I see myself as a complete failure. Working allowed me to be much easier on myself because I felt like I had a certain job to do that was attainable or else I was too tired to guilt myself.

"For everything there is a season..." Yet again God has blessed me with an opportunity that I hope to use for His glory. For now, I choose to go back home, but hope to be a much better friend and much more empathetic to my working friends. I pray that I will see opportunites and take advantage of them to lend a helping hand to those who need it, whether it be physically or mentally!