It is 7:13, my babies are both sleeping peacefully in their beds, and I have zero gas left in the tank of life. I am sitting on the couch, and I just know that my arse is spreading as we speak because I just devoured a bagel with extra butter instead of the salad I had made for myself earlier. I am spent. And what do I have to show for it? Not much, truthfully.
The house is in a bit of a state, we had leftovers for lunch and dinner, and I haven't even showered yet today. The kids were happy and saw very little tv today, so that's a win, but here's the problem...getting my house in order tonight, if I manage to do so doesn't change anything. I will gather my energy, scrub the house down, prep a nutritious breakfast, lunch, and dinner for tomorrow. I will shower, and maybe even shave my legs. Maybe. And then tomorrow, it happens all over again. Tomorrow night I will put the kids to bed and look around the house which will again be in a bit of a state.
Depending on how old you are, you may remember your mother, or your grandmother, or perhaps even your great-grandmother's house. You may remember gleaming windows, a definitive lack of toilet bowl rings, clean shelves inside of the refrigerator, spotless baseboards. Or maybe you remember none of that specifically, and just recall a sense of perfection and peace when you entered her home. You surely remember the smell of the cookies she always baked for you, or that chicken dish that only she could make just so. You do remember that, right? Maybe it wasn't your mom, or grandma, but an elderly relative. Either way, I'm sure you knew a woman who was the mistress of her domain, and not a single stray carper fiber was going to defy her.
How the hell did those women do it?
Oh. Right. They were a whole lot less lazy than we are. They didn't spend time watching tv, or goofing around on Facebook. They woke up before their husband, made the coffee and breakfast, and once they got their families successfully out the door, they got to work. Real work, not the halfhearted we do aided by all of our gadgets and products. They cooked, cleaned, mended, and cared for the babies still at home. They made time for the things that were important, like their friends, and those friendships were more valuable than their breath.
They put their family first.
They are how I find the energy to get my heinie off of the couch and get on my knees to scrub the tub. Out of sheer respect for my forebears, I will not fall into the quagmire of laziness. I will stay off of Pinterest until behind the toilet has been sanitized. I will be a housewife that my grandmother would be proud of. I will say "I am a housewife" with pride, because it MEANS something. It means that I am a part of a long tradition of hard work and dedication to one's family.
No comments:
Post a Comment