When there's a knock at the door, do you cower on your couch and pretend to be asleep or do you answer the door. I admit that I've done both depending on the situation, what I have on, and how I feel. I love my private time and often don't want to be interrupted. Yet, recently there was a knock on the door of life, and I answered it--now I'm navigating this new chapter.
Looking back
There's a part of me that looks back now and then and wonders if I made the right choice, but when I reconsider the multiple factors involved, I know it was the right time to answer this opportunity for change--my days are full, the vision is clear, and the time was right.
Looking ahead
The challenge is creating that just right routine to meet the opportunity and challenge of this new path--finding ways to make myself strong and smart for the journey. In so many ways, I'm embracing the role of homemaker these days--it's a rather old fashion role, one that is listed on my female ancestors' records going back over a hundred years. Most women in my family in the past were considered homemakers as their primary role, and now that's what I'm doing.
It's an interesting role that is giving me insight to my mother, mother-in-law, and other female relatives who saw this as their primary role. I was always in awe of my mother-in-law's homemaking abilities, and now as I embrace this role, I realize that one reason she was so good at this is that she actually had time to do it. For so many years, I tried to replicate her good work, but I never had the time to do what she did--now I have some time, and I find myself thinking of her a lot as I update my home, cook great meals, and work in the garden.
Why is this role so valuable?
This role is valuable to me at this time because it is affording me the time to take care of the people I love most including my parents, husband, children, siblings, nieces and nephews, and more. I enjoy taking care of other people in meaningful ways, and I'm happy to have the time.
I'm also happy to have the time to think, read, research, wonder, and figure out where my next steps will be related to my interests and pursuits. I'm allowing a spirit of serendipity to seep into that aspect of my life--I recognize that this is a great luxury, one I don't take lightly.
Each week is a new adventure
Every week my life looks a little different than the past week as I embrace this new path in life. As I've always done, I build each week based on the learning from the week past. For example, there is such great satisfaction in getting jobs done, and that satisfaction energizes me to do more of those needed jobs. Similarly there is great fun and satisfaction in cooking delicious meals for my family--hence, I'm researching more recipes and cooking more, and I love the idea that I can be present when people visit or call--for the most part, I can be there to support them. This is good.
So, in summary, when there's a knock on the door of life, sometimes we'll anwer that call and other times we may cower on the couch deciding that the time is not right for change. Whatever you decide, it's good to know that the decision is yours, and you'll make the right decision depending on the circumstances at hand.