Far Above Rubies

Over at GNXP, they are discussing a new Fortune article, which reveals *gasp* that in order to have an orderly homelife, you need a homemaker, someone who not only cooks and cleans but performs the household’s secretarial and magisterial duties, as well. Who whoulda thunk? Fortune thinks this is news because they have found this is true for successful women, as well.

I do wonder sometimes about the common sense of the chattering classes. They really can’t see the noses on their faces. When I became pregnant and we decided I would stay home, I began to put all of our finances into Quicken and examining the time we spent taking care of the house. Aside from the big, obvious issues, such as firing the maids and ceasing to eat out every day, what immediately became clear is how much more efficient it would be to have someone who could take the car to the mechanic, get to the post office before it closes (ah, the days of skipping lunch to stand in line), who could spend hours on the phone fighting with our HMO when they billed us incorrectly, etc. While these things don’t make up for the loss of my salary, they make a significant quality-of-life impact.

My husband has so much less stress now that I am home. I do everything that we used to try to do together in a mad rush on the weekends. Not only do I pay the bills but I can project our expenses out to the next year. I have his dentist appointments on his calendar months ahead of time, allowing him to schedule in advance when he needs the afternoon off. I have the time to shop around, really shop around for, the best deals on cell phone plans, long distance companies, car insurance, health insurance, etc.

My husband goes to work and comes home to a clean house, a warm dinner, and an executive summary of the days’ events. He doesn’t have to do anything but enjoy his home. He is more relaxed, healthier, and more productive. Who wouldn’t be?

My life is far from drudgery. Instead of sitting in daily pointless meetings constantly trying to find ways to make my boss look better in order to get him off my back for a few days so that I can sit and surf the web, I am actually doing real, useful work. I can watch my daughter grow. I watched her learn to walk. We didn’t mark the day on the calendar: “Baby took her first step today.” Walking is a process, like so much else in life, and I saw the whole, blessed thing. What could be better than that?

More later; I have to get back to work. :)

~~Mrs. Blessed