Changes

This is the first September in my life that I have not been gearing up for the return of school in one form another. For the last seven years I have identified myself as a French teacher, but always knew that once children entered my life I would put my career on hold and devote myself to raising them.

While I don't regret this decision for a second, the transition has been harder than I thought it would be. I have identified myself as an educator for all of my adult life and a large part of who I am as a productive member of society. In my heart, I fully believe that being a parent is of far greater significance and importance than what I was doing previously and a great deal of the ills in our society are the fault of parents who fail to take that job seriously. And yet, I have not been able to proudly say that I am a stay-at-home mom without adding all of the additional things I am filling my life with. Many people I encounter seem to think that staying at home means taking things easy. While I (and the other people that matter) know that is not true, it strikes me that my security in my identity hinges on what other people think.

I think part of this insecurity stems from the fact that staying at home with children is a topic everyone has an opinion about--often very strong opinions--and they have no qualms about vociferiously voicing it. This might be because it is a choice that forces you to give something up, whether a career or the ability to be there for your child full time. When someone chooses differently than someone else, it makes you revisit what led you to your choice to begin with. Sometimes the choice isn't yours to make, although more often than not, I believe living simply can make it more possible. In the big scheme of things, it is not things which will make us happy.

So, the next time that someone asks me what I do, I will proudly say that I am a full-time mother and know that it is the best decision I have ever made.