A couple of years ago a friend told me that she would never wanted to be a "scrapbooking/blogging" mom. She defended herself by saying that she felt she had more to offer the world than that. When she first told me that I wasn't quite sure how to read her comment. Should I be offended? After all even though I don't scrapbook, it's obvious that I do blog with regularity. Should I be worried? Do I need to do something more than carpool, laundry and blog to be valued member of society? How will I define myself as I get older? While I certainly don't sit around eating bon bons while I watch soaps, my only economic contributions are spending rather than earning.
Since that time I've thought often about what I want to be when I grow up. What will I do when my kids are all in school? It's different thinking about it now than twenty years ago pre-marriage and pre-kids. Before the kids came along I defined myself as a 5th grade teacher, and as the top travel agent at the most profitable agency in Utah. I really enjoyed it.
For the past almost twelve years I've defined myself as a Mom. Chauffeur. Laundress. Referee. School Volunteer. Homemaker. And I've really enjoyed that. I know that many of those things won't change as my kids grow, but as my youngest enters school full time I'll certainly have more time on my hands.
So what do I want to be when I grow up? I want to do something I'm passionate about. I have a friend that is starting her own jewelry company. It promises to be fabulous. I have another that organizes scrapbook shows. (Scrapbooking is her thing!) One friend manages the accounting for her husband's business. I have another that sells skin care products. Wedding flowers keep one friend busy. And yet another that is a personal assistant to a fairly influential out of state business person. These are all things that they are passionate about. All things that they love doing, and things that keep them busy when they aren't a full time Mom.
Which brings me to my next worry. What ever I decide to do I never want that to take me away from my first love of being a Mom. Strangely enough I would trade the opportunity to make big bucks, for driving a carpool or staying home to bake cookies any day of the week! I don't want to have to give any of that up. Kind of crazy, I realize that.
I do still have a few years before my youngest is in school full time. I'll keep contemplating what I want to be when I grow up. I'll keep trying to find my passion. And in the meantime I'll still bake cookies and blog. Is that so terrible?
1 comments:
I'm with you sister.... being a mom (a stay-at-home one) IS what I'm passionate about. It's the best job in the world; also the hardest and lowest paying one. Now that all of my kids ARE in school all day, I spend more time volunteering at their school and being as involved in their lives as I can, because I know that before long I won't have those opportunities anymore. I have been tempted by the idea of getting a job (who couldn't use the extra money?) but it just doesn't seem worth it.... I know I wouldn't have the energy to devote to my family. I want to there for my kids, not just physically, but have the energy to focus on them, listen to them, teach them, help them, and guide them through their teenage years. (Yikes!)
And when I grow up I want to be a grandma. :)
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