Today I woke up feeling so much gratitude for the blessing of being a homemaker. Sometimes I complain and pretend I don't love it, but I really do love taking care of my home and my family. When comments are made about if I will be going to work once Emma is in school I just cringe. Could there possibly be any job out there that I could find so fulfilling or influential? There is simply nothing I would rather do.
Today Emma worked along side me as I cleaned the house. While I was working on the bedrooms she tackled organizing her drawers. Wow! My four year old now has tidier drawers than I do. She was so proud of what she had done and could hardly wait to show dad when he got home.
She followed me to the kitchen where she swept and mopped with me. Can I just say that this girl can really work? What four year old sweeps and mops?! She told me that today I was the dustpan holder so I got to hold the dustpan while she swept up the piles. When it came time to mop she took the mop and worked a good half hour on the floors before she let me have a turn. What I loved most about it all was the joy and satisfaction I saw in her eyes. That is what homemaking does for me too. I feel such joy and satisfaction from the work I do her in my home.
I wanted to cheer last General Conference when Elder Christopherson said, "There is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here." I believe this. My influence is greater in my home than in any other place.
A few years ago my friend, Rosie, and I did a session on homemaking for the high school's career fair. We had so much fun putting together our presentation and hoped kids would come. They did, after all the homemaking class was the only one where you could get milk and cookies. One of the things we shared with them was that homemaking is a lot like a foundation. It isn't visible and it isn't the showy part of a house, but without that foundation the whole structure is compromised. The same holds true with society. Homemaking is the foundation of a strong, moral and peaceful society. When the homes of the people are unstable the society is too.
What I do every day doesn't make the news. I'll never be one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People, but I have more influence that most people realize. I am one of many women who is building a foundation for a strong and peaceful nation. Who knew that feeding, clothing, cleaning and caring could make such a difference? But it does. I know for sure that it makes a difference for the eight people living under this roof. Could I be any luckier? I get to be a homemaker.
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