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| Library of Congress: "Rustic Basket" by Currier and Ives, 1856. |
A typical day for a housewife includes chores and "prettying" up the house. It is more fun when there is spring weather and birds are chirping. It makes one feel warm and cheerful.
In the morning, I clean the kitchen, then have tea. I do homeschool with my youngest, make treats, and do the little touches that create a home.
If I see an unmade bed, I make it. Whenever I walk into a room, I tidy it. It only takes a few minutes and brightens everyone's day.
In my childhood home, we always had clean dishes. If my mother saw a cup on the table, or in the living room, she would wash it right away. Things were kept up, by cleaning as things happened. It would have taken much longer to clean a piled up mess, than to clean here-and-there throughout the day.
My teenage daughter has not been feeling well. I made her a special lunch in the late afternoon. She sat on a stool and visited with me while I worked. I did a few dishes while I cooked. By the time we left the room, everything was back in order.
All this is having a housewife on duty. . . . Someone in charge of the management of the home. . . The Keeper. . . I am there if someone needs tea, or wants to know where the clean towels are. It is a delightful job that I am proud of. I am also greatly needed. What home doesn't need a housewife on duty? It is a blessing!
A very special reward came to me yesterday. My husband said he noticed the house had been extra clean lately and he appreciated it very much. He gave me some cash and said I could do whatever I wanted with it. I was shocked. But this made me realize something . . . - he trusted me. He trusted me with our home and he trusted me with our money. We live very carefully and frugally.
I had earned his respect and trust by my hard work and careful economies. But this is something I have to constantly strive for. We are all tempted to waste money or shop impulsively or be lazy. We must be on guard. This is also part of being a Keeper of the Home. We must watch out for waste and sloth.
There is a sense of pride when you are the Housewife on Duty. Each day we will improve in our skills. Each day is fresh and new. But for my husband to really trust me as his wife and the mother of his children and the keeper of his house? . . . This is one of the greatest of all accomplishments.
blessings
Mrs. White
*Wondering what I did with the money? I bought extra groceries and a few little things for the house - like a new shade to replace a broken one.*
From the Archives -
Precious Homemaking - A Covered Bridge and Graceful Living in Rural Vermont.
Finding Genuine Happiness at Home - Peace be Upon This House.
Writing - Chore Letters for My Children.
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For old time encouragement in living simply on a limited income, order Mrs. White's book:
"An Old Fashioned Budget: Humble Financial Management for the Christian Housewife"
This slim, 77 page, paperback book is available for sale through Amazon.
5 comments:
Thank you for this. It brings tears to my eyes. I'm not quite sure why. Guess I needed it to affirm who I am and what I do. ~mlk
It's a big job to be trusted with money. While my husband works and I stay at home, every week he turns his whole paycheck over to me. I pay the bills, budget for groceries and gas, and work on our savings. However, this also means that when we run short or a bill is late, it's my responsibility. We have a great system in place though, we run every purchase (no matter how small) past each other. That way, we keep each other accountable, and keep a balance in how we're spending any treat money.
This is a great post, Mrs. White. It is a privilege to be the one "on duty"--the person who actually makes our house A Home. To have the trust of one's husband, and the admiration of one's children. Also, thanks for reminding me that it's easy to brighten someone's day, by taking just a moment to straighten something in their room or make a bed that they forgot to make.
I'm thankful that my husband works so hard, to the point of neglecting himself sometimes, just so I can stay home with the children and homeschool. I try to never ask him to do much, he insists on doing the mowing (we don't have any boys,just girls and he doesn't want them mowing or weed eating) and he takes care of car maintenance but I try to keep everything else nice for him. He trusts me to take care of the bills and never complains when I tell him it's tight this week. Trust is surely a blessing. PS, what did you buy with your extra money?
Beautiful post! Made me think of this verse:
"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her . . . " Pr. 31:11 :) You are certainly a "Model P31" Mrs. White! :)
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