Blog Every Day in May: What Do I Do?

Day 6: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do?'

For about the last nine months I've been a housewife.  It's something I'm always a little (okay, a lot) embarrassed to tell people because I am afraid of the assumptions that come when I verbalize that answer.  (The two coming to mind are that I'm lazy or was fired from my last job -OR- that I'm a spoiled wife who doesn't feel like she needs to work.)  The part that bothers me with the former is that I left my job by choice and for a reason not many people know about.  You see, my husband and I had struggled with infertility for about a year when we came the decision together for me to stay at home to remove some of the stressors from my life.  The issue with the latter...well, I don't think anyone wants to be thought of as spoiled or entitled to a life of leisure, and to be honest...keeping house can be a lot of work!  But I digress...

So really, the answer to the question 'what do you do?' conjures up a variety of mish-mashed answers...the first one being that I'm a wife.  This sounds really weird to say, but I was never one of those girls who couldn't wait to have a bunch of kids...but I really, really wanted to be a wife!  Something about the companionship and the fun of getting to live, eat and travel with one person always sounded very appealing to me.  While marriage is never an easy ride, I relish my role as a wife more than ever before.

The second role is as a mama-to-be!  We were very fortunate to become pregnant (after a miscarriage in November) again this winter, and I am enjoying my time planning (or plotting!) out a nursery and the idea of being mama to a little boy!  I think right now that consumes about 70% of my thoughts every day! Ha!

My third role would be as a volunteer/care person.  I was asked a few weeks ago to begin Compassionate Care Ministry training at our church, which something I am very excited about!  As much as I enjoy my life as a housewife, I didn't get a master's in Counseling for nothing, and I'm thrilled to be able to put it to work on an as-needed basis.  CCM will give me the opportunity to provide support and care to those hurting or needing comfort within our church.  I just love it when God opens doors!

So there you have it - what I do.  I know these roles will evolve and change, but for now I am certainly relishing the present.