Live YOUR Life

A recent conversation (with a somewhat narrow minded person who I still love despite his downfalls) got me thinking about my life and what people see.

For a fleeting moment, I considered defending myself to this person. But then I realized no matter how I justify what I do on a daily basis, people who don't want to see me for who I am will never see me for who I am.

I love my life. I'm happy. I have an awesome husband who supports me, great kids who are an absolute joy. I love my job--well, jobs. I'm a mother, a farm wife, a writer, and as of Monday, Nov. 7th, a part time customer service rep at a bank. I am those things in that order. Mother first, wife second. My children and husband are my priority. Our family farm is a very close second. I work hard at those two things so I can do the rest--work on writing and at the bank.

But I'm also a person. I need down time. I need nights out with friends. I need to pursue what makes me happy. This doesn't make me LESS of a person. It just makes me a PERSON.

Long gone are the days where women stayed at home with the children and the man brought home the bread.  Some say those days were simpler. I say family dynamics doesn't define simplicity. How you live your life does.

I'm not a great cook, but my family eats dinner together almost every day. It might be mac-n-cheese or McDonalds, but we're at the table and conversing. I'm not mother of the year - I'll be the first to admit, sometimes my kids drive me crazy, but I love them with every part of my being, and I make sure they are fed, healthy, happy, and DISCIPLINED. My husband and I argue, but we know every little bump in the road is just that - a bump in a life long path we're committed to walking, driving, or even running together. TOGETHER being the key word. Our life and our decisions are just that--ours.

My husband cooks and does laundry. I unload corn and mow the lawn. If my husband needs help in the shop, you better believe I'll be out there getting my hands greasy. If I need time to write, my husband takes care of the kids without question or complaint. We don't define our roles as husband/wife or mother/father. We are PARENTS. We are PARTNERS. We step up when it's needed. Fill in the gaps. Support each other. There is one END RESULT - and that's happiness. Who cares if the man of the house is sorting socks or the woman of the house is using a chainsaw? We don't, and neither should anyone else.

While some may fail to see anything other than a woman sitting behind a computer toying with words, the people who know me for who I am see a hard working woman who is pursuing a dream. While some may think my husband is pawning off his responsibilities to his wife when they watch me pull out of a field with a wagon in tow, those who know him for who he is have no doubt he appreciates all of the things his wife does for him so he can pursue his dream.

I won't let ANYONE stop me from pursuing my happiness, which is a balance between family and career, for both my husband and myself. And I will NOT allow myself to come to a conclusion about anyone else's life. What they do and HOW THEY DO IT is their own business.

I am living MY life. And I'm not letting anyone's expectations or unfair judgement get in my way.

Are you living YOUR life?