Why I Celebrate 'International Women's Day' My Way
Don’t ever demean or look down on a married woman who chooses to be a homemaker – a full-time mother and wife. When done with love, her job is more valuable than any job requiring pumps and pantsuits, working for someone else away from her family. My wife is smart and capable, formerly a nurse practitioner at the Mayo Clinic. Yet we choose to live on my income alone. While every life is full of challenges, I come home to a happy woman every day. The house is clean. I smell the aroma of what she has prepared in the kitchen. She spends her days * reading * puzzling * sewing * crafting * painting and decorating * gardening * finding incredible deals on groceries and bargains at Goodwill * going to daily Mass * keeping up with good friendships * visiting and praying for sick people we know * preparing meals I like * planning fun (and cheap) trips * keeping our daytime appointments * volunteering at Habitat for Humanity * training local businesses to be "dementia friendly," and * much more. While we manage my very modest income responsibly, we could afford more luxuries and “stuff” if we both worked jobs. But then she wouldn’t be free to exercise her fullest potential in life, which is not clocking in to serve an employer, but to serve her own family and community, living a balanced life of work, recreation, and service. I celebrate "National Women's Day" not to promote women becoming more like men, but in appreciation for how good they can be at what only women can be: mothers and wives, hearts of the home, vessels of life and love. We will never second guess how we choose to sacrifice by prioritizing our life this way. Happy International Women's Day!