When I first became a mother over eight years ago, I had no clue about anything! So I tried to look at my new job the way I had looked at the previous jobs I held. To me this was "professional motherhood." (I wrote a book inspired by the concept, too--& I'm so blessed to know it has helped thousands of readers! God is incredible.)
That was what I needed at the time, but my definition of professional motherhood has slowly changed.
It doesn't mean showing up at a specific time (necessarily), doing certain tasks whether or not you want to do them, or persevering through the unpleasant. Instead I now see my role as that of Mom, CEO.
And what does a Mom, CEO do?
* she casts a vision for her family
* she sees where they are now, and (with her hubbie) imagines where they one day can and want to be
* she plans for her day--using the secret behind a schedule that really works
* she abandons the plan when she should because of sickness, appointments, or disgruntled workers (i.e. the children)
* she realizes that the happiest day is already here--so her life should reflect that fact (And if that means putting on Netflix for the kids and reading a novel for herself, good for her!)
* she knows that peace is more important than productivity
* she leans on her strengths, instead of placing undue emphasis on her weaknesses
* and as she discovers herself and her role more deeply, she begins to find that all along she has held in her grasp the life she's always wanted
May I encourage you not to settle for "worker-bee Mom" as your title? You have much more to offer as one of the key visionaries and voices for your home and your loved ones.
“To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets,
labours, and holidays; to be Whitely within a certain area, providing
toys, boots, cakes and books; to be Aristotle within a certain area,
teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can imagine how this
can exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it.
How
can it be a large career to tell other people about the Rule of Three,
and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How
can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone and narrow to be
everything to someone? No, a woman's function is laborious, but because
it is gigantic, not because it is minute.”
~ G.K. Chesterton
