It Matters

Investing in our families does matter

This post was sparked after I received a text from my husband while at church today.  The poor guy was home yet another Sunday with a different sick child.  Thankfully he lets me go and teach our class while he stays home with whomever happens to be sick, this week it was Micah with a stomach bug and fever on Friday.  Since he woke up with still some symptoms of a cold John said he would stay home.

We got to church at 10:40 a.m.  A bit early so I could go to a quick women's meeting and then prep for my students.  Mark and Julia went to worship with my sister while I prepped the classroom and re-read the lesson.  John's text came about 11:45 am and it said: 

"So I've been cleaning the kitchen and the dining room since you left and just finished. (I left at 10 am) And now its lunchtime and I have to get ready for lunch, so literally all you do is cook and clean and then get ready for the next meal.  I don't know how you do anything else on your plate."--John

Texts like this always make me smile and fill me with pride and a feeling of accomplishment.  It's moments like that when John gets a glimpse into my world at home with the kids (actually all he had was Micah, I had taken the other 3 to church with me).  Even if he only has half the kids I normally have he still has the duties that I would have, minus the errands and homeschooling.  It makes me happy to know that he appreciates all the things I do when he is working, the schooling, food shopping, going to the bank, going to the cleaners, dropping the kids off at gymnastics, driving to coop, going on field trips.

There are so many times I feel like what I do at home doesn't matter.  I don't make any money.  I don't go out and work.  I don't have a title or a career.  All I do is change diapers, manage the home, feed our kids, homeschool, and clean.  My job is easy.  It's simple.  It's out of the home.  I can take breaks.  I can nap. (yeah, right).  I can watch television and go on the internet.  I don't have a boss to answer to or deadlines.  I don't have an hour commute.  And all those things make me feel like what I do is so insignificant.

Until...

Until someone steps in and watches my kids for an hour or two, and then says to me when I return: HOW DO YOU DO IT?  And it makes me happy to know that what I do does help my husband.  I am making a difference.  Just like when I came home today from church and lunch was on the table, the house was clean and Micah was dressed and happily eating in his high chair...all of that was a huge blessing to me, knowing that Micah was being taken care of by Daddy.  

Just knowing that someone was at home, cleaning it, caring for it, minding the kids, taking care of things, it made me see things from John's perspective.  And I know he does appreciate what I do.  He is thankful to come home to a clean house and dinner.  Although he would be just as grateful to come home to a messy house and peanut butter and jelly.  As long as we are all happy and healthy, he doesn't care about the floors being swept and matching outfits.  

Isn't it nice to know that what you do matters?  That it makes a difference to someone else?  It's so nice being appreciated.  

So thank you honey for appreciating what I do and realizing it's not always easy.