what's in a name?

quite a while ago, when lauryn was still a little baby, we had some friends come over for a visit and one these friends called me a housewife.

now for some women, that doesn't make a hill of beans of difference to them. so what if she called me a housewife?

well, it stung. and i said that i prefer the term "stay at home mom". to which she replied (somethign like) "whatever. i really don't care what you call yourself." ouch!

so what is my problem with this antiquated, patriarchal term exactly? why should that bother me? in my opinion, housewives are involuntary. that's just the way life was. you were a wife: you were confined to the house. period. end of story. for me, being a stay at home mom, is kind of declaration that i am choosing to be an intentional parent. it's recongising that i have the choice and though it would not occur to me to do anything else, the decision to stay home from 'gainful employment' and raise our children is, indeed, mine to make.

maybe someday i'll get to the point where that particular comment will amount to nothing more than hot air long gone. and i can say "whatever" back to that. (i look forward to that). and right now, i know that this person really hasn't a clue about who i am and dare i say not much interest in anyone other than #1. i mean, she thought i was trying to impress her with my child's cloth diapers. [scoff!]

honestly.