Home, Christ, and the inevitable Laundry Pile
When I last left you, I was headed to transcend my laundry pile, Mount Neverest. Don't pity me -- the washer broke, and I got a three day pass. Lucky for us, we'd just done a Walmart run for socks and underwear! LOL Hey, nothing like a few pairs of dirty socks to make you realize how much you really love to do laundry.
Which brings me to my thought for today: stay at home moms.
The other day, a man was lamenting to me that "the church" doesn't say anything about how mothers should stay at home with their children...that there is no support from the church so far as helping families make this decision. He said that the Church was just too afraid of the feminists to say such things. I was astounded. "Haven't you ever read Famliaris Consortio?", I asked. Well, yes, he had -- but he meant that he never heard anything from the pulpit in the parish.
Seems to me that these words from the Pope are from the top - the very highest pulpit, no? And whose responsibility is it, anyway, to advertise for stay at home moms? WHat kind of image do stay at home moms portray? Is it appealing enough to make others want to consider the option?
Do we moan about the work-load, or do we allow others to see the transparent joy of our vocation? Do we get caught up in wishing we had our working friends' pretty homes, or do others walk in our homey, clean, and well-used living room and sense an "at homeness" that makes them smile? Is our joy at being home something only our husbands know about -- or do we broadcast it the public through our smile, our gentile manner with our children, and a willingness to "have children, will travel". Let's face it -- we are our own best press.
I am constantly surprised by ladies at the store, couples in the parking lots, cashiers from Lowe's -- people come up to me often and tell me "I watch your family at church - they are beautiful", or "it's so obvious that you and your husband are in love", or "what a good Dad your husband is!" The point being that people are watching!
What do they see when they watch you?