As a wife and mother of three, I am assigned the unglamorous duty of being the hub of our family. Often, I slip into a rut and think of myself as the poor kid cast as the tree in the school play. My husband and children command center stage, bask in the spotlight and revel in the applause, while I stand firmly in the background. I fight my natural tendency to be a cynic and realize that things are as they should be. Would I happier with a career? Not likely. All my skills are best used as a stay-at-homer. Besides, my limited experience in the corporate world tried my patience far more than the fussiest of children. Even though I hold a BBA in Marketing, I never decided what I'd like to be when I grow up. I suppose I am grown up now and the natural course of my life chose my career for me. As a child, everyone told me I could be anything when I grew up. My brain was so addled with girl power drivel that in my mind a wife and mother was the laziest choice I could possibly make. Thank God I came around. I stand behind my choice to be a stable support for my spouse and my children to spread their wings and grow.
A recent move to the country has me searching for meaning in all things. Take wildflowers for example. Wildflowers grow in rocky soil and blossom to perfection under adverse circumstances. If given a nice little place of their own in a carefully maintained flowerbed, they may turn weedy, and produce more leaves than flowers. What a wonderful metaphor for life! Try as we might to be perfect, we can live virtually anywhere, and despite our surroundings, bloom exquisitely. So, you may find yourself in a shotgun shack, you may find yourself in another part of the world, you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile or your may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife. Where ever you find yourself, you've got once in a lifetime. So where ever you are and whatever you do, be imperfectly perfect. As for me, I may have a 24 hour job, but it's up to me to define the job. In fact, I'd like to think I am outstanding in my field.
