My husband, in addition to other lovely gifts, gave me the greatest gift of all this year...he agreed to fully support us so I could fulfill my dream of being a stay at home wife. This is something that will be difficult for him, require that he work quite a bit of overtime, and it is a decision that made me a bit nervous too, but he is very generous and good to me, and agreed to my wishes.
Today it is snowing heavily, and this last week has been a mix of icy rains and snow. I am enormously greatful that I am at home, warm and cozy, drinking a nice cup of coffee in between doing household chores that I actually enjoy (when it is my own house that I am cleaning and caring for, that my husband and I happily live in, the chores don't seem so tedious or boring).
I don't think I've even been happier.
Meet other Happy Housewives on this great forum I'm part of.
That is wonderful, Penelope!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! That IS the best gift. Enjoy.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!! I am so happy for you!
ReplyDeleteChuckling quietly, because I remember how unnerving it was, after the birth of our first child, to stay at home with her and be down to one income. You can do it, though, and both you and your husband will be much the happier for it. I applaud you, as a woman more than half my age, for bucking the trend of the past 30 or 40 years, and having the courage to be who you were meant to be. You go, girl!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, what wonderful news. I too have just left my job this past week. I only worked one day a week since the birth of our son but I had always wanted to be at home with him. I was very lucky to have my mother and mother-in-law to look after him as I could never have put in childcare. Here is to a wonderful new year at home.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much ladies...I am really happy about it. I still have not told my parents, who will be *most* upset with me, but it was a decision that my husband and I agreed on and are happy with. It's not a decision that would be supported by family, unfortunately, but I will have to come to terms with that.
ReplyDeleteI am happy for you. When we follow God's plan He will provide.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, now, here is some unasked for advice...make it very, very worth his while. When our dh go to work they are bombarded with the rejection of this idea and told over and over that it is wrong. Make it such a blessing that nothing can sway your man.
ReplyDeleteHope I didn't offend, this is just something I have learned.
Many Blessings :)
Ace
Ace, you are right...his co-workers, male and female, have started commenting as soon as it happened, trying to persuade him to force me to work.
ReplyDeleteI am *very* lucky to have a husband to is willing to stand his ground to make me happy...I just have to make him happy too :) He deserves it.
Stay-At-Home and Unemployed mean the exact same thing, except that "Stay-At-Home" is a euphemism to make it seem like being unemployed and mooching hard work is not a bad thing, you have to say what it really is! I am kind of jealous and envious of you that you don't have to work every day like I have to do. I work so hard every day FOR A LIVING, more than I want, 10 hour a day and 2 hours total in one day's commute. I have no time for happiness, it's just work work work, I don't want this but I have no choice. Why do women feel they can evade the adult responsibility to work, you're an adult, not a teenager on permanent summer vacation! Please be kind to your man and maybe reconsider entering the working world to add more income into your residence, just like you base his love and devotion to you to how much he works.
ReplyDeletedishwalla - opaline
Dish, I am not sure if you are a man or a woman (you do not indicate) but this is a personal choice for only my husband and myself to make, and one that makes us both very happy.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you say you have no
time for happiness in your life and it's all work, but why should you wish this on others? I do not have a paying job, but I work hard, and my life is happiness because I love the work I now do.
If you are a man, I wonder why you think a woman should have to bring home pay to show love to her family. It says in the Bible that through the man's sweat they shall eat, and the woman's job is to have children...she is not required to struggle outside the home to provide the living (nor are most women built with the physical strength and stamina that a man has to work long, hard hours out in the elements of the world).
If you are a single woman, I understand what you are going through. I worked for many years before I married. If you are a married woman and you choose to work, this is your choice (I would never tell you how to live).
I do not, however, feel that coming home unhappy from work is good for my marriage, just for the sake of bringing home some extra money (money is not everything). I feel being emotionally supportive of my husband, making sure he can relax at home, eat home-cooked, healthy meals, and have a companion that is not stressed out and complaining after a hard day at work, is the best gift I can give to him. We save money because I no longer have transportation and work clothing expenses, I can make him lunch from home, we no longer have to hire people to clean our home and do our errands...in the long run, we may even be saving money by my staying home! (Too, I would rather stay home than work to have newer cars or a maid...those are not important to me.)
Thank you for your comment; I appreciate that you took the time to write your thoughts.
I'm a guy. I am sorry, I just woke up and was harsh, hahaha, I do apologize. I live in a small town until I move to the city and I'm lonely for now and I'm just bitter. Though I do not agree with people staying home as adults, I like to speak to people who I have differing views with and try to understand the other point of view, maybe if it makes me less harsh about it if it helps. When I got older, my parents told me that I had to go out and get a job, and I did, they rightfully thought they shouldn't be supporting me because I was a certain cut-off age. Deep down I wish I can just be a woman and not work for an extended amount of time, but I'm a guy and I feel like I cannot scale back my efforts in something I HATE (WORK!!), because of annoying societal roles that decree that the man has to work, I HATE WORK!!!
ReplyDeleteseriously, enjoy your life at home (I mean this totally in a non-sardonic way). I sometimes wish I had a long vacation myself, you know, lol.