Mom Memoirs-My Choice To Be A Stay-at-Home Mom

Just like everything else in my life that I spend a lot of time thinking about, this is a topic that is near and dear to me as it is a big life change that my family will be undergoing in the upcoming year. I have recently turned in my letter of resignation at work and will be transitioning to a full time mom next school year.

I haven't found a good time to tell everyone that I've wanted to tell and be able to express all of my thoughts on the subject in a way that I've wanted to. So with that said, I felt this would be a good way of communicating my feelings as time and my ability to express my thoughts clearly have eluded me lately.

First, I would like to begin by saying my choice to be home full time is so much more than being a stay-at-home mom. I would like to think that I am transitioning into a career as a professional homemaker! Ever since I had my son, I started to feel this overwhelming pull to my home. As I transitioned from my maternity leave back to work that pull became even stronger. It became very clear to me that God was calling me home. It was in that time that I had to look at myself as an individual, assess the type of mother I was, the type of mother I wanted to be, and the best way I was going to be able to achieve that. The further along the path of my spiritual journey that I walked, the more clear it became to me that as a woman I needed to recenter my life. Call me old fashioned, but I realized that I desperately wanted to center my life around God, and make my sole responsibilities my husband and my children. Please understand that as these words spill from my finger tips, they are an expression of my own individual journey in motherhood. This isn't a post about why women should quit working to raise kids, or why women should continue to work after they become mothers. These are simply my decisions as an individual mother and professional in this new season of my life. Decisions I made with God in mind and where I felt he was leading ME.

Second, know that the support I've received from friends and family have meant a lot to me. The individuals in my life who have not only supported me in this big decision, but have expressed genuine happiness for me, have meant the world to me. No, I did not make this decision to please other people and really when it comes down to it, I need to do what is best for myself and my family, but to have the support of people in your life who you respect and love is a wonderful gift.

Third, someone asked me, "Was it an easy choice?" To which I replied, "Yes." Then they said, "Good, that's how it should be." Just know that even though this choice was an easy one, it was most certainly a scary one! I don't think I'd be human if I said I wasn't scared about going down to one income (even though we've planned and crunched numbers, and crunched numbers some more), or that at times I felt insecure about being home full time. BUT, I remind myself that I am a responsible young adult, my husband is an equally responsible young adult, and that we must put our faith in God. We must put our faith in God, his plan for our family, know that he will provide, and always lean on one another. I am not naive to think there won't be sacrifices made in order to make this transition work. We will probably not be able to take fancy vacations every year, drive the nicest car, or have the fanciest things, but we will do alright and we will be happy. I can't ask for much more than that. I will have a nice house, food on the table, my best friend to spend my life with, and the love of our children to fill our home. I will always be eternally grateful to God for blessing me with these things.

Last, I will also be eternally grateful for the wonderful experiences I've had during my past three years of work in the public education system, for the difficult experiences, and for all of the wonderful people I met. I have learned a lot from the wonderful speech teachers in my school district, collected many wonderful experiences, and made many wonderful friends that are near to my heart. I'm sure this is not a goodbye, merely, a 'see ya later.' I've grown as a person and a professional and seeing the smiling faces of my colleagues and school children on a daily basis will be something that I miss dearly.

I will forever be thankful that my husband has and will continue to work so hard for myself and our family to provide. Not only financially, but emotionally and spiritually. I thank God every day for leading me along a path with my greatest happiness in mind, and for the gift of my family. Here's to new adventures, new challenges, and a new beginning!