My Many Hats

Amy Grant, one of my favorite singers, wrote a song in 1991 called "Hats".

One day I'm a mother, One day I'm a lover, What am I supposed to do?
HATS!
Working' for a livin', All because I'm driven To be the very best for you.

I'm currently helping my daughter plan her wedding. The wedding date is less than two months away. Being a wedding planner is not something I would consider doing for a living, but I can certainly appreciate the advantage of hiring one!

I help out with babysitting my granddaughters, either planned or as a backup when their regular sitter backs out. On the days that I babysit, I am reminded of how much energy children have and how exhausting it is to have the responsibility to assure that they don't get into mischief. Yes, people do this for a living as well, and I certainly did my share of babysitting other folks' children when my children were young.

I am cooking more meals at home. Reminder: I hate to cook. Always have, always will. I hate to eat my own cooking. I find it very boring. I am not very creative. I hate the planning, the shopping, the cleanup. However, I am doing it. I'd rather die than do this for a living.

I am the landscaper for our home. I have learned what poison ivy looks like (the hard way . . . ) and I have discovered that there are special tools for pruning rose bushes. I have trimmed trees and bushes and I have learned how to use the lawnmower. I know there are lawn care services out there but we are discontinuing ours soon, so I will be spreading stuff I don't know about on our lawn.

And, of course, there are the tasks I perform whether I'm employed or not. The dishes, the laundry, the cleaning, the pet care, the taxi services. The maid service.

But, most importantly, my #1 duty and responsibility, the one that should be, and is, right there at the top of the heap of hats, is my parenting. It is my role as a Mother that I am most proud of, most willing to give everything up for. Whether the unemployment rate is 9% or 10%, whether I am working outside the home or not, I will always be my kids' mother and my husband's wife. For these reasons, I am willing to find a way to "live within our means".

Glo