The “BEST” Job in the World!!!!!

I watched this video pop up over and over again on Facebook, figuring it was probably another ad about mom’s complaining about how difficult their jobs were, and since I don’t like this mentality I left it alone. But after about the 10th time seeing this snapshot above I finally watched it. So many thoughts were going through my mind, “OH COME ON!” being the primary theme. I realize that Matt Walsh wrote an excellent blog on the topic, but I wanted to give you my point of view as a wife and mom. If he had said some of the things I’m about to say he would have been crucified, but as someone whose “in her shoes” I’ll give you a few thoughts to ponder. Granted I’m generally a optimistic person, and I view things a little differently most of the time. For instance, I actually enjoyed birthing my children when to most women this is a pitiful competition of who had the most difficult birthing experience. It goes something like this,”I was in labor 20 hours, well I was in labor 120 hours”; “I was in labor and the kid was breech, I was in labor and the kid was side ways.”I just want to LOL because mouths drop when I say it was the most beautiful experience in the world bringing a life into the world. Sure, it hurt, but what an unbelievable experience to treasure! I could say the same with motherhood! What a difference it would make if mothers spoke of the JOYS of motherhood instead of the dread of it all. 

Motherhood is the greatest gift on earth and I feel like more mothers should treasure the times with their children. Instead we revel in videos like this one that make us feel important for working 135 hours a week, never sitting down, and NEVER eating. This might make you chuck your biscuit at your computer when I say this, but if you worked that much, never sat down, and never ate, you probably wouldn’t be complaining about your pregnancy weight either. Ok, that might have been a little harsh, but let’s face it folks we get breaks as moms. I find it laughable that those claiming to have no additional time in the day are those who post 20 posts on Facebook each day, to include watching a 4 minute video and reposting touting motherhood to be THE “Toughest” Job. Not to mention most moms now days send their kids to preschool during the day, and then after preschool age their kids are at school for hours a day. I haven’t experienced this yet as I plan to homeschool, but I can imagine you get some free time while they are at school, right?  Even with three under the age of four (4 yrs, 2 yrs, almost 1 yr) at home I get breaks (obviously I’m writing this blog). I also work 30-35 hours a week for my dad as a photographer/ business person. I work with the kids all day except for their two hour nap time, and then I work when they go to bed at nine thirty. If I didn’t have a job during these approximately five hours a day I’m not sure what I would do with my “free time.” All of this not to brag about how I use my time, but to say YOU DON’T WORK 24/7 AS A MOM! Sure you might be “on call” around the clock on the rare occasion they are sick, but this isn’t like caring for someone you don’t know in the hospital (like a nurse does), instead this is caring for someone who means more to you than anyone in the world. This isn’t a task to be begrudged! These little people need you and let’s face it, you need them! Taking care of little people shouldn’t be a difficult task at all but a labor of love. Plus the extra cuddles you get when they are sick is all the pay you need!

Your need, or desire to have them rather, is the reason motherhood is NOT the “toughest” job in the world without pay. We mothers DO get pay. I got “pay” this morning as I sung, “you are my sunshine” to my daughter and she cuddled in to me and said, “I love that song mommy.” I get pay every morning I walk into the kids rooms and get big ol’ smiles, on vacation when I see their little eyes light up with wonder at new sights I take for granted until I see the joy in their faces and get to experience the joy all over again, every kiss, every “I love you,” every time I spend my time talking about them, and I could go ON AND ON. The point is that your worth is NOT measured by a paycheck, so why say things like, “but we mothers don’t even get paid for what we do?” If you measure your worth by the amount of your paycheck you are seriously devaluing yourself. Many of the hardest workers around get paid minimal pay checks because their value doesn’t reflect the paycheck. Can you imagine if trash men quit working? They get paid very little when compared to the importance and necessity of their work. They would be very highly paid if we got paid according to importance, but this isn’t reality when a Hollywood actor gets paid millions more simply for our entertainment. 

A paycheck won’t make you feel more valuable people. A paycheck is so worthless in light of eternity. We don’t bring money to our graves, nor anything that we purchase with money we worked for. We do, however, get a reward in heaven for our work as mothers. The Bible says in Luke 13:30, “And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” I believe this means those who have given up earthly “good” or riches to follow God, and His commands, may not be “first” here on earth, but they will be in heaven when it comes to reward. If you sacrifice much for God you will be given much in His Kingdom! Being a mother is one of the responsibilities God has given to us women, and we should embrace it even if that means sacrificing our time. What other sacrifice comes with the reward of raising children to be spiritual warriors for Christ? What an awesome task we have been given! I realize not all mothers are christian, but I don’t feel like christian mothers should be complaining about the “workload” of being a mother. Making others who don’t have children feel the job is not only the “toughest” but the “worst!” You may say, “that’s not what this video is saying that being a mother is the worst,” but you heard the interviewers, “naa,” “no way,” “that’s almost cruel,” “that’s crazy,” were some of the sentiments. They certainly weren’t saying, “sign me up.” They might be saying “sign me up” if motherhood were portrayed in a different light. If, say, he said, “every time you stood up to do something you would be giving to someone in need,” or “every time you lost sleep you would get to cuddle a sweet baby in your arms,” or “you may be working but it will involve laughs, smiles, and thank you’s from the associate,” I think people would be more accepting of the job. We mothers need to shed a better light on what it means to be a mother. It IS tough, but the joys are immeasurable and certainly outweigh a paycheck. Being a mother is THE BEST job in the world, embrace it!