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Hooray for Housewives!



I’m not talking about the spoiled rotten kind on TV from New Jersey, Atlanta, New York, Alabama, Dallas, Las Vegas... or wherever they live.  I’ve never bothered to watch those programs.  Those housewives are spoiled, narcissistic women who do nothing but shop, argue, go to lunch and have their hair, boobs and nails done.  The housewives I’m cheering on are the ones who rarely exist anymore. The housewives I’m talking about are the ones some of us grew up with - the really amazing ones that we called Mom.

She got married to her one and only love right out of high school.  During those first years, they discussed the possibility of children and he told her that he hadn’t grown up with Super Dad as a role model; his mom had worked as well and he wanted a different scenario for their children.  His hope was that she would stay at home and make sure the kids felt safe and taken care of.  She was happy and willing to take on that challenge.

The housewife of lore was a woman who made sure the homestead was safe and secure.  She prepared healthy food to eat - pulled fresh onion, lettuce, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes and squash up the ying-yang out of the garden.  She picked cherries, peaches, apples and pomegranate's off their own trees for snacks.  No processed TV dinners (who had the budget for that junk?!).  They were practically pioneers?  Well, there was time to do those things because the pace of life was less hectic; work was from 9-5 instead of 24/7.

The housewife made sure the house was neat and tidy.  She made sure the kids knew how to make their own beds, clean their own rooms, do their own laundry and have consideration for others as part of the right vs. wrong equation in their decision making.  The wonderful part?  She always did it in the most encouraging of ways.  The housewife wasn't there to spoil the kids by doing it all - she wanted them to know how to be self sustaining. 

She was the Commander and Chief; she ruled the roost.  She may have pointed her finger, but in a positive, did-you-learn-your-lesson kind of way.  Dad was that way, too.  They both taught the growing pains of responsibility in a gentle, kind, thoughtful way that prompted THINKING for oneself.  You learned pride, you learned consequences, you learned love.

Were there struggles?  Of course!  It wasn't all smooth sailing, but, the kids never felt nervous or stressed over living life.  Decisions were discussed and made together for the good of the group.  The focus wasn't just on one individual.  Their unspoken motto was, “One for All and All for One”.

So, let's lift our glasses in Cheers to Housewives.  Thank you for teaching us the values of respect, integrity, honesty and hard work.  Thank you for being present in the moment(s), loving us and making home feel fun, safe and secure.  You took the time to cheer us on, you made it all seem easy.
Hopefully we've made you proud of the adults we've become.

XOXO.
S.










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