Not all women have the luxury of having a man to take care of all their needs and even if they do, there should be a form of independence to not make the burden heavier for their partner - and what is more important, as there are those men that can afford to give a woman everything - is creating a niche for oneself.
"Is this my life, Cindy?" This question was when a woman that had quit her job when she got pregnant on the urging of her husband. "Is it to baby talk the whole day? To change diapers? To devote my life to my child? I had a career and now I am stuck" I stared at her, thinking that it was her decision, yet I understood where she was coming from. "I feel you.", I said, remembering that when my youngest was a toddler, her father wanted me to quit my part-time job and my answer was, "If you will give me the money I can earn, I will quit."
Finding work outside the home isn't sometimes an option. I had made the choice to stay at home and not get a regular job. I have always been a WHAM (work at home mom). The kids were still growing up and my nephews and nieces were always around as their parents had to work. For the longest time, it was a riot at home, with them clambering up the sofa, running around playing, catching birds to place one in the beta max rewinder, one turning the fax machine into a coin bank, them chasing cats with their pellet guns, and the all-time favorite when they decide to become wrestlers and the mattresses were place on the floor and they would pummel each other. There was always some sort of activity in the house because I had to keep up to a dozen kids busy like drawing and painting to include their writing on the walls and chairs, and then one day I saw them place the youngest on a leash while she was acting like a dog. One of the most memorable was the time I entered the room as the shrieks of laughter was at an all-time high, and then my son said to me, "Mom, we made snow!" while my little Maxi and Timi were yelping, "It's snowing, it's snowing." as my son stood up on the bed holding the large bottle of baby powder to create the snow while the others were sliding on the floor like they were ice skating. Staying at home does have advantages and these are the times that we spend with our children for them to have the strong foundation provided by our love and care.
For many years, I cooked and baked for a living. Years ago, I was selling my bagnet at 700 pesos per kilo, apple pie at 600, our enormous leche flan at 350, cookies at 25 to 30 pesos each, yielding from my kitchen only items that are incomparable to gain repeat customers. Three days after I gave birth to Sarah who is now 21, I had to make leche flan to supply the grocery near by and for each large leche flan I made and sold, I had enough money to cover the ingredients for the next one to make and to buy a small box of milk and that time, a small pack Kimbies disposable diapers which was enough for my baby for that day. I also sewed things to sell such as stuffed toys and made curtains and beddings. The walls of the home is not limitation, it is the place where I can dictate my time, rest when I want to, do what I love to, and place my family in priority while working. Then around 12 years ago, I went online and started writing. This became my career until now.
The drawback happened a couple of years ago when I developed carpal tunnel syndrome. I would be dropping a plate, screaming in pain when I changed a light bulb, and there was once a sharp long pain in my upper right arm that would bring me down on my knees while I was just walking in the living room. I called up my internal-med neurologist that had piled me with so much flowers when I was still single that I had to make him stop, telling him that I don't eat flowers to get long lunches and dinner instead, and he when answered the phone, he was worried as I haven't talked to him for years. "What's wrong, Cindy? You're lucky you got to contact me here at my old office as I seldom drop by. Tell me what is wrong, are you sick?" I started crying, "I need to see you." After which I got a series of questions. "Get this kind of x-ray and bring the results to me" I was still crying as he told me that I could not never sew again. "I am in pain." was my answer. "Do I really need an x-ray? What can I do now to stop the pain?" He answered, "When I see you, I will immobilize your wrist and place it in a cast. You have go to stop crying as you can't sew anymore, use the computer the way you do, and stop doing all the things I told you to. Buy a wrist brace and take this med. Call me tomorrow if it worked or not." It did work and I got well for the longest time but now the pain is coming back so I save my writing for books, blogging that helps me relax and put information out there, and the regular job that I have.
Working at home did sustain my family for many years. Now that my youngest is 16, I go offline more often, ready to face the world and take the challenges that it presents to earn money for I am nearly done with the most important job of my life which is that of being a mother.
If you ever feel that staying at home is cramping your style, that the daily chores and taking care of the kids make you feel that there is something missing, I feel you. I hope that someone will be encouraged by what I wrote and if you want to start being more productive, you might want to join contests and get free stuff by getting the information you need the blog of my friend, Mary Jane Dionela, who is just like me, a work at home Mom that was able to find her niche. Click this link to find contests and freebies.
Keep in mind when you are down, dreams do come true. Focus and work towards that goal. Post it on your wall like the law of attraction thing then work on it with all your might so it will come true. This will work, not just for women but for all people from all walks of life. Don't let circumstances control you - break free and make your life something more than long.
