"Homemaking"

My dear one,

I can't sew.

Or maybe I should say, I haven't taken the time to learn to sew. This worries me. After all, the Proverbs 31 woman is all about handiwork and "DIY projects," right? Occasionally I have worried that my lack of sewing skills will concern you. Maybe I will learn someday. Definitely if you want me to... Up to this point, I've been busy cultivating skills in other areas. My current responsibilities include performing, teaching, coaching, writing, editing, scheduling, etc.

Can she tend a home though?, someone might ask.

I am privileged to have grown up in a family where my mother was a wonderful role model and example for me. Our home was clean - disorganized and dusty at times, yes, but sanitary, shoeless, welcoming. I observed my mother's frugality as she clipped coupons and searched the grocery store fliers for specials. Meals were simple yet nutritious. My brothers and I learned to help with chores. Laundry was my specialty from the time I was 7 or 8. And when my mother had severe back trouble I took charge of the kitchen as a teenager.

There is much about my childhood home and my mother's keeping of it that I seek to emulate in my own home. But one particular area in which I think I am different from her is my desire for simplicity - at times even minimalism. In a way, it was such a liberating feeling to store everything I own, bringing only to a new area of the country what would fit in my car. I don't need much of what is in that storage unit, and I have a feeling that when I move back and retrieve my belongings this autumn I will end up disposing a great deal of it. I want to cultivate a calm, quiet elegance in my home, with a preference of quality over quantity.

Homemaking is more than just cooking and cleaning. It's also about keeping my cool when the sink backs up. It's about getting up 20 minutes earlier to make your lunch because I was too tired the night before. It's about the creativity needed to hide the "hole in the wall that was there when we moved in." It's about contentment, humility, selflessness, wisdom, patience, and multitasking. I may not know everything about running a household, but it is very dear to my heart and I look forward to a home with you someday!

Waiting,
Me