Steel Magnolias

Today I have struggled with being a good Christian and the true Southern Lady my grandmother taught me to be. A dear friend, who will remain nameless (no it's not you!), basically belittled my existence today. This happens on at least a monthly basis. They don't do it to be mean, its more like just thoughtless comments. At least, that is the way I choose to take them so that I can continue to forgive them ( I have to admit that my first inclination is always to smack them across the head). But today for some reason it just really got under my skin. I am, even now, praying to God to help me forgive this person. I am a stay at home mom and a student. I feel no shame in this. It is every mother's (or father's !) right to put the raising of their children over anything else. My grandmother used to get disgruntled at people who said they were going to wait until they could afford them to have kids. "You can never have enough money to afford kids, just go ahead and do it. Kids are a lot more rewarding than money and a fancy career." And she was and is so right. And even though I am working towards gaining a solid career, I will always appreciate and cherish the time I spend at home with my children. That is something I learned from my mother. She stayed at home with us until we were old enough to care for ourselves properly before going back to school to get her pharmacy degree. I appreciate and admire both hers (and my father's) sacrifices so that she could stay and home, and also her determination to succeed once she went back to school. I am actually sad that my kids aren't old enough to appreciate that about me right now...but don't worry, they'll hear about it plenty growing up :)

In any case, I just wanted to share my frustration. I'm sure any stay at home mom has stories to tell, and I don't want to encourage pessimism. As a matter of fact, I realized later this evening that the reason this person makes these comments so regularly is not because they wish they could trade places, but because they wish they could trade attitudes. I try, for my kids and my husband, to always keep an upbeat and positive attitude (which is what makes us steel magnolias ladies!). I am by no means perfect, but I love my life and I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China...or all the money in the bank!