Truthfully, I have never read a Jane Austen book. This quote was shared on facebook by a fellow homeschooling mom. It struck my heart. When Brian and I were first married I worked into our first pregnancy until it was exhausting for me and he was tired of rubbing my feet each night :) Since then (20 + years) I have been home as a homemaker, house wife, or whatever creative word many use to make themselves feel better about their choice to be home. For me, homemaker is a wonderful word. Because that is exactly my goal, to make a "home". Over the years with three children and all the regular appointments of doctor, dentist, etc and then all their activities, sports, friends... I want my family to know there is a physical house standing for them, but that is their house. I want them to know, they have a home. To me, when we walk in the front door it feels like this is our home. How do I define that feeling? When you walk in the door and it smells like home. Candles, yummy food, dessert baking and dinner cooking, bacon lingering in the air, wet dog (I know polar opposite from the prior list), athletic equipment. When you come inside you see pictures of our family, friends, vacations, important events such as graduation and prom; you see things we made such as ceramics, quilts, afghans, paintings, curtains, the urn that holds the ashes from our beloved dog, memento's that remind us of Papa who left us way too early; you come into the kitchen and you know that your favorite flavor of teabag or coffee creamer will be there; you go up into your room and you can smell the dryer running with fresh clean laundry, your stuff is scattered around your room, clothes, shoes, your bed isn't made and it is calling you to snuggle in, your pets are running around anxiously to greet you. This is just part of home. Home is safe. Home has love and sometimes bickering, home has snuggling on the couch to watch TV or enjoy a book, home has card games, board games, and laughter at the dining room table, home has dinner, and bacon. Home is where we cry and talk about what is truly hurting us and is where we can brag about an achievement knowing everyone is happy for us. When I am very stressed, I find the most helpful thing is for me to back up, and make home my priority. The days where we have no where to go and at three in the afternoon I can chop the vegetables for dinner and do the prep work for the meat - at my own pace, Brian will call and asks whats for dinner and the kids will request favorite meals, where I can steal away a half hour to enjoy a magazine or a book, and where PJ's can be worn at any time of the day. And when dad walks in from work, he enjoys all the things I listed above (except the bed - I do make our bed lol) and he kisses me and tells me he loves me and asks about our day - this is home. I love my home. And I love the people in my home. I find comfort here as a homemaker. I embrace that word. I guess Jane Austen and I have a lot in common and I should go to the library in search of one of her books...
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