My motto for years was: "When My Kids Grow Up" ... this meant the time for me to get back in the workforce outside the home. Slowly the years have crept by. One at a time ... adding up to several decades now. Time still spent at home. No longer do I wait for these years to pass by ... there will, most likely, never be an opportunity to work outside the home. Some of my children have left the nest. Another will leave in a few short months after college. Yet another will most likely be my charge for many more years to come. Now I'm cycling in a grandchild to watch a few days a week. He's already stolen my heart and I couldn't possibly send him off to day care (not on my watch). Suddenly, I'm becoming the matriarch of our family. I am starting to like that title. It's a protective, full of wisdom type of title. Not many women can call themselves the Matriarch of their families. I've come full circle ... and I am thankful to be a child of God, sister of many friends, daughter, mother, grandmother, wife, secretary of our HOA ;) ... my job titles are too many to list. I may not get paid monetarily ... but hugs, pats, and oatmeal kisses are not too bad a form of payment.
Photo Art: A Mother's Encouragement, 06/08 by Mrs. Mac
17 comments:
Dear Mrs. mac,
I like Matriarch women.
While all the busy bees are swirling around gathering flowerdust, one must stay home and be in the center.
I miss being well, I do that, but I don't for a second miss being sweating around the gold-calf while my thoughts and worries dragged me home.
Most of my friends are grand mothers now, and love the moments they get to spend with their grand children. (They don't look after them full-time though.)
Then a couple of weeks back I met this one, saying, grandchildren,-no, I don't have any time for them. I see them and when if it suits me.
I consider to be myself modern and I guess more European than American when it comes to family thinking. Here most families are based on two incomes, you know, to get all the material stuff needed to keep up with the Joneses.
I felt sorry for my college and for her grandchildren.
They'll never know what golden values they are missing.
I guess I can't make plans for my daughter's future, but if she would choose to settle down near by us when the grandchildren hopefully comes, I shall be more than happy to take care of them.
Or I will have to do what my Mom and my best friend are doing; travel around to be with be offspring as often as possible.
From Felisol
loved this.
I am a semi-Matriarch at this point. My beautiful mother is the Queen Bee in m family. Living out of state though, away from her I am indeed the Texas Mama Matriarch! You're right, not a lot of pay, long hours but man the long term rewards are truly wonderful!
Connie
Beautifully written.
Taking on the role of matriarch at first made me felt there was no where to go after this, but we are to live in the now, and the now is indeed most wonderful. The role of wife, mother, grandmother is one I fit into with ease and joy.
I like you am a stay at home Grammy. As a christian I want to be the influence on them growing up...not day care or some babysitter. I sing them songs of Jesus, say Grace over jars of baby food and cuddle under blankets when they are tired or nor feeling well. Grammy and PaPa's house is also their homes...when they walk through the door in the mornings I hear "Grammy I'm home" There's nothing I want more!
Passing the baton from one generation to the next ... some times a mother or father should step up to the plate ... we're not talking about just a lifetime here, but eternity. Grandchildren are the future ... our heritage. As a Christian, I can think of no other reward this side of heaven that could bring more joy that to know your family is nurtured in Christ. If the parents must work ... then as a grammy, I love being able to step in. Hugs to all of you dear fellow matriarchs (semi, or full fledged) ...
ah huh! now the real reason for the hair transformation ... :o) ...
just teasing ...
((hugs))
i loved this! the matriarch of our family just passed away about a year ago... and there was no one to replace her...
I have a quick question? In the instructions listed on the scarf site is says,
"but also send it on to the next 'blog sister' in an envelope with a postcard from your area and a short journal entry."
What are we to include for the journal entry? Exactly what should we be writing?
I apologize if I am coming across as dense, I have a good excuse don't I? (8 days out!!!)
Connie
Dear Mrs. Mac...What a post to be reading as I just got out of bed to get a glass of water.
Here I have stayed now for an hour and with great thoughts of you and the treasure that you surely have...Your God, your husband, your children and your grandchild and your friends. You are right ! What else could you possibly need?....
Gee! I feel like swiping all of these great comments too but that would be too much!!!
One year when John was laid off and Betty had to work, she had to send Amy to day care. It fell on Bernie and I one day to take 3 year old Amy to drop her off there.
Oh I just cried. I said to Bernie, "We can't just drop her off here!" But of course we had to and I went away from the place with a heart that was sore!
How good that you are looking after little Jacob, and how blessed you are to have the little Gift with you probably for the rest of your life or until the Lord does come and take us all home!!
Love you!!...Love Terry
PS...Yeh I was here and there for an hour all right my dear friend and I have to ask you to forgive me for being a thief!!!..Ha!, eh?
That is way too sad about that gramma that Felisol met that has no time but what she choose to have with her grandchildren.
I consider myself really fortunate[having no children], that I can take kids to Sunday school every week and enjoy their presence whether they are behaving or not! Sometimes they give me dandelion bouquets and to me that is a treasure.
I just put them on my blouse and wear them! You should see the odd stares I get but that don't bother me none!!
PS I didn't mean I was fortunate not having kids, Mrs. Mac!
That didn't sound too good eh?
What a beautiful post..every young Mother in the world should read it...your priorities and love are its crown. All ages of Mothers and women in general could benefit from the wisdom here. I have..as I pause to reflect back. I wish I had 'net' friends like you back when I was a young Mother. I was lonely sometimes for adult fellowship. What a blessing it would have been. I do have many,many happy memories of the kids and I playing tabletop ping pong...and the girls and I knitting together after school was out for the day. All the church meetings...all of us receiving Christ as personal Saviour...as the years went by. Oh what peace he gives..when our sins are under the blood and forgiven! Forever. I hope you have a great day...=) I've spent the last two days reading....but such an excellent read it was...I have no regrets...grin.
Loved this!
...there are no better kisses than the oatmeal kind!
(and what a wonderful tribute to you on Terry's blog!)
word verification: shmert
used in a sentence: mrs. mac is very shmert in realizing that God's best and most blessed calling for her life is Matriarch of her wonderful family!
Yes Deb, she is very shmert!
Hi M&M, congratulations on your title. Does that mean Mac is the patriarch or is he the husband of the matriarch?
Thank you for the nice comment and BDay wish on Terry's blog. I am back from Guatemala and am in the process of catching up with my blogging. I have 40 unanswered comments on the blogs. (I will probably skip the 16 on my WW and Skywatch posts.)
I did post a comment on Terry's birthday blog, thank you again.
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BTW, my profile is not keeping up as it shows only 106. This is because I had to lie to make it have the right age, I told it my birthday was January 1. :-)
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Jim ... answer to first question = both ;)
I'm busy getting up my nerve to turn in my resignation as the HOA secretary tonight ... maybe I'll show my face tomorrow ... just maybe if I'm not so stressed out.
Deb ... If I was so shmert, I'd not have raised my hand to volunteer for the secretary job ... only to have it turn into secretary/treasurer/water board member ... so on and so on. Way too much work for peanut shell wages ;)
loved this post! I am finding myself in this role more and more though my mamma is still queen bee. I consider it a priviledge to help with the grand and would Love the opportunity of staying home and doing more...working outside the home has few benefits to me...$$ is so far down the list of what's really important yet so high on the list of things that keep the wheels turning in life. sigh...
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