Tuesday 4 January 2011

Queen of the Castle: Week 1

Colletta is running this 'project' and I sure do mean running, as to me anything to do with housekeeping, homemaking, managing, wifelification, home economist, home engineer, and all that jazz, is more of a marathon than an everyday occurrence.

Colletta has done a lovely introduction to the book, which you can read here, so I shan't repeat it, but just add my thoughts.
The first observation which made an impression on me was the conflict between the worldly view of a homemaker and the Godly woman's view of the same. Its difficult not to succumb to the worldly view often and often, I have found.

How many times has any Mother felt worthless, or useless, or on the wrong path, or just plain inferior, because she chooses to not work outside the home...as if there isn't a million times more work inside the home! How many of us have, or know friends, with small children, invalid family members, elderly parents or in-laws, who help with Sunday Schools and Church activities, Mothers' Union, look after working mothers' children after school or when they are sick, keep open house,and are then regularly envied because we 'do nothing' all day?

I have to laugh, really I do!

The women with the salaries, do they have to patch the bath towels, knit dishcloths from string, cut down clothes for another child to wear, grow their own veg, and scan every article on 'Thrifty Housekeeping' to cross their paths?
Heck! We are the ones who should be writing the Thrifty Housekeeping articles; it may be a 'life choice' for the salary earners, but its a way of life for us homemakers!

The second thing which struck me in the course of reading Chapter One was the realisation that I don't think I have my attitude in balance at all.
If I am a homemaker then what exactly are my priorities, after my God?
Husband.
Children.
Parents, brother and sisters.
And then the wider community; Church members, School staff and children, friends.
And finally, when all else is done, any projects like the Etsy Shop and commissions, and personal projects.

I have let the order become skewed, with School taking precedence over home, and the Shop rising slowly up the list of priorities.
Wrongly so.

So this week my aim is to redress the balance, in my own head as well as in my actions. To look after the family members with my whole heart rather than resent the time they take away from making dolls or playing with fabric.

Small aim, perhaps...but as L.B.W. says in the first Chapter- eternal repercussions!

5 comments:

Amanda said...

You're so right to want to make the most of your family; the time will come soon enough when they'll leave home and you'll have more than enough time to play. And if you then add in more 'outside' work, retirement comes along and you've even more time to play. I sometimes read blogs where women work full time, seem to quilt full time too and I wonder where the times are for them to enjoy their families.

collettakay said...

This post is spot on! The very same things struck me. Thanks for putting it into such clear wording.

I will work on my priorities this week also.

I'm so glad you added your thoughts!

Terri Tiffany said...

We all need to stop now and then and readdress our priorites. I wanted to say thank you for your loving encouraging comment on my post this am. What a nice way to wake up! You are so sweet!

Robin's Egg Bleu said...

I think this happens to all of us at some point or another. I think it's that 'little kid' left in us deep down that occasionally pops up, resenting having to put away the fabric and the dolls in favor of priorities that our adult self chose from love and free will.

We just have to be our own mother sometimes and remind our inner child that 'Mommy' has more important things to do at the moment, and that she can play later.

Our lives are so busy that it's hard to keep everything balanced 'just so'.

But we try, we try!

Ruth said...

My hat is off to homemakers that devote their lives to their home, family, and children. I would go crazy if I were not out working in the world!

I decided to follow you because I am also participating in the read-along.

If you're interested, here is my post:
http://mydevotionalthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/01/queen-of-castle-week-1.html

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