Unemployed? Who? Me?

Have you ever filled out a form for something and there is no space for a woman who is home full-time to mark other than unemployed? I hate marking that as my option.

And let me tell you, hate is not a word I tend to use lightly. Loathe. Despise. Abhor. All good substitutes here. Just wanted to make sure I was being clear.

That it makes me grit my teeth and deeply inhale to put a check in that box. 'Cause you know, I'm on call 24-7. My day does not end until my head hits the pillow and even then, all it takes is one little cry and I'm back on duty.

Please hear me, I have worked full-time outside of the home (6 years) in a field that could be pretty demanding, so I know both sides of the story. I'm not going into that now, but I will admit there was a time in my life -it pains me to say this- that I never thought I could stay at home. Sometimes more for sanity reasons than financial.

I am shamed to admit that I thought I would be bored. There I said it. Perhaps that's why God has blessed me with an 8 yr. old who chose his bedtime reading to be The Life of a Neuron tonight. Or why I have a 2 1/2 yr. old who seems to possess hurricane-like qualities. He's making sure there's not a chance I might be bored.

And also please hear me, I absolutely love being at home. And after my above statement, you can see God's change in my heart. I have come to embrace it. To cherish it. Having the ability to be the keeper of my home constantly. To learn to make my home a refuge for my family. A place of comfort. safety. love. A place where others feel welcome.

The fact remains, it's still work. And it is not easy. And at the beginning of my new career *grin*, I found myself inserting the words "I just" before I said "stay home". Giving it an inferior connotation.

I don't just stay at home. I am not unemployed. I work hard. My time is very occupied.

I just don't have a biweekly paycheck to show for it anymore.

No, now I get paid in full with smiles and sweet kisses. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.