Eric works twelve to fourteen hours a day, six days a week. We have one vehicle and he takes it with him, naturally. This means that I am home, in this house, with these kids, every day, six days a week. A lot of my friends marvel that I can do it without going crazy. There are two things that keep me buoyant, and for your reading pleasure and enlightenment I will now share my two magic floaties.
My mom stayed home with all four of us kids all the way through our high school days. Whenever she was asked what she did for a living, she always responded, “I’m a homemaker”. Not a stay-at-home-mom, not a housewife, but a “homemaker”. To me, being a homemaker means exactly what it says- a person who makes a home for her family. Some moms just stay at home, some just tend to a house, but I am a mom who makes a home. It is my profession. I consider it unacceptable to be anything less than professional about what I do. This means that business is always booming around here and I am never lacking something to do to make my house a home. I don’t look at it as work that I have to do, but rather work that I choose to do because I have chosen this profession. And so, floatie number one is that I am pretty busy for those six days a week that Eric is gone.
Now, I suspect that floatie number one would indeed become a grind and difficult to maintain if not for the all important floatie number two. I am surrounded by a bevy of amazing girlfriends. Just about every day, one of these amazing girlfriends swoops in and gives me a moment of clarity and adult conversation. If I am in need of anything, I can count on them to be there in a moment’s notice to lend a hand. If you also happen to read my dear friend Sarah’s blog, you saw that she was congratulating me for doing something that I have never done before. What she didn’t say is that she sent me a strongly worded e-mail telling me that I was not to do any housework for a full day. At the end of that day she came over, made dinner, cleaned my kitchen and stayed until it was time to put my kids to bed. My cat loving friend even took my giant dog for a walk. That’s a good girlfriend.
I have an army of these friends in my arsenal, always willing to jump in and run right along side of me. This is how I avoid going crazy. In fact, I think I got it better than a lot of people.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “Where can I find a collection of friends that are equally as compassionate?” I’ll tell you my secret for finding amazing friends: look in Christ’s church. For all of my life, the best and most loyal friends I have ever made have been my sisters in Christ. I have had a good number of quality friends who were not Christians, but the ones who stick with me, who cry with me and who laugh with me to the point of hysteria have all been believers. I believe there is something to that.
Thank You For Being a Friend
January 29, 2007
Hi, Amy, this is Sarah’s mom, Mary. I jumped from her blog to yours and discovered this wonderful “chat about heaven.” Our Wednesday night ladies’ class is just beginning a study of Galatians, and I thought your post would be good to share. May I share it with them?
I’m so glad you have such wonderful friends! We who have such friends are truely blessed!
Friends are great indeed. Speaking of making my home, my husband will be home tonight (yay!) so I have some cleaning and personal gussying to do. See you later!
Mary, no problem. I appreciate the thought.
Lauren, I guess this is as good a place as any to tell you that my homegirl Susan and I are planning a girl’s only road trip right by you in Feb. We should totally hook up and refill our girlfriend artillery.
Sarah, I love you enough to tell you that when husbands come home after being gone a long time, it is never wrong to stash and dash. They don’t look in the oven for dirty dishes or in the corner behind the sofa for dirty laundry. Just make sure you brush your teeth.
I wonder if Sarah is an angel disguised as a human? How do we really know?
Maybe. Do angels wear tye dye?
California Angels?
She is from California. Sounds more like a cover story than anything.
Um I commented earlier and I guess it didn’t post.
I am not an angel. Silly people. I’m just a regular gal who likes my friends.
But thanks for the sentiment.
*Man, is this what I miss when I don’t check back at comments? People complimenting me all over the place?
Well Sarah I have never met you, but you seem like an angel to me. Amy’s very lucky to have friends like you.
Aww so sweet! Thanks Rebecca!
I too think that friends are of more importance. I am so happy that God placed Sarah in your life. She is a fantastic friend.
“I am not an angel. Silly people. I’m just a regular gal who likes my friends.”
That is exactly what you would say if you were trying to maintain your cover…
thanks for the tips. you are an amazing woman and deserve to be treated well once in awhile. what a good friend sarah is. I’m proud to call you both my blogger buddies