Our children are all still grade-school age and attend the same school. I volunteer for things like playground duty and the book fair. My oldest will be in 8th grade next year, mere moments from high school. I want to soak up the days that I catch him laughing in the hall with his friends. Where he will very casually say, “Hi Mom,” when he sees me so as to not draw too much attention. So soon he’ll be gone and I won’t have those chances again.
I have also discovered something about myself these last several years at home. I am not your typical career woman. I don’t miss trying to climb the corporate ladder. I am happy on the lower rungs managing a household. I have no interest in running a Fortune 500 company. There are so many people much better qualified for that than me. It’s not that I can’t. I am intelligent, hard working, and talented. But my gifts are better served at home. And that’s OK.
So what will I do with all of my time? There is plenty. I will still do laundry and clean the house, but for the first time in many, many years, I’ll be able to focus on myself for a few minutes. I will sit down at my computer and put words to paper that have been in my heart for years. I’m going to write that book, I swear! I also do freelance work which allows me the opportunity to be super flexible. I will continue to serve my passion and still be able to be at school for a sick kid.
But please, I beg, don’t make me feel guilty for making this choice. I know that it is a privilege for me to be here, but that’s because my husband busts his ass for me to be home. He wants me here so that he’s not doubly burned. And that’s OK for us. We aren’t living the high life so that we can afford for me to do this right now. We aren’t rich by any means, but we live happily and fully on one income.
My family is only going to be young once and I will have unlimited access to them for such a short time. Before I know it I’m going to be handing off car keys and things are really going to change. But for now, I’m the chauffeur and chef and chief operating officer of our not-so-tight ship and I’m taking full advantage.
My youngest will start high school in the fall and I am still a SAHM. 24 years of it so it so far so it seems to be a good one to retire from or be promoted to the babysitter for grandkids in years to come.