Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Reevaluation

So every so often something happens that gives you pause and causes you to take another look at your life. Yesterday, as I was trying to load up a pile of boxes into the car, the Eskimo was refusing to cooperate and insisted on standing on our front porch, staring at our neighbor who was loading up her own car. In an attempt to keep the Eskimo from wandering over and trying to climb into our neighbor's car, I started singing "if you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet". He immediately started stomping and dancing, which is adorable.

Anyway, my neighbor looked at me and said, "Your life is so much more meaningful than mine. All I do is go to a stupid job." My neighbor is a single, middle-aged woman who actually does some pretty important and valuable community outreach work. It's not a meaningless 9-5 desk job. So I've found myself thinking about her words over the past couple of days. Is there anything more meaningful than raising a child?

My neighbor's words made me take a step back and really appreciate how lucky I am to have been able to stay home with my son for the first 14+ months of his life. I've been here for everything. I've seen him grow from a tiny lump of baby to an active, strong-willed toddler. I've breastfed, cloth diapered, made baby food and been a nap-Nazi; all of which would have been nearly impossible if I hadn't been home with him.

Okay, so I have my days where I want to throw in the towel, stick the Eskimo in daycare and get a day job. Financially, this would probably be a pretty smart move. Because if you didn't know, I'm here to tell you, kids are freaking expensive. And I have every intention of finding a "real" job within the next few months. But until that day comes, I'm going to try to remember to enjoy this time with my son. He's growing so quickly it's almost frightening. Raising and shaping another human being IS enormously meaningful and I'm going to keep that in mind on the days when I feel like I do nothing but laundry and dishes. Or, at least I'll try. :)

2 comments:

  1. but day care is very expensive too! a few of my friends just stay home because the amount of money they earn would basically all be going to pay for day care!

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  2. Definitely true and was factored into our decision to have me stay home the first year. But it gets cheaper as they get older, so now that he's over a year I should be able to find something that pays more than daycare costs. :)

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