I was taking my daughter and her friend to laser tag the other day and my daughter said to her friend that she has less of a life than most others. I asked her what she meant by that and she said because all she does is sit in her room, Skype with her friends and watch anime shows in her free time.
Her friend told her that’s all she did in her spare time too. I was thinking about all the things my daughter did and thinking she has more of a life than she thinks. She may not be in sports, but she draws some amazing pictures, she goes to school, she gets good grades, she is in an anime club at school, and we do a lot together as a family. Plus, she’s only fourteen and there is so much life still ahead of her.
Then I started thinking how happy I was I found bread with seven grams of fiber which my kids actually like. If my daughter thought she had less of a life, all she needs to do is become a stay-at-home mom and become obsessed with how much fiber the family’s bread has in it.
There are many odd things besides bread that make me incredibly happy that can only be attributed to being a stay-at-home mom. I was very proud of myself for tracking down and taking care of the weird smell in the family room. While I was at it I washed the dog’s bed cover and sewed up the holes she tore in the cover and the pillow. I also dumped the cat litter box and bleached it clean.
I had an accomplished glow all the rest of the day and into the evening. I polled every member of my family when they came into the family room that evening and asked if the smell went away and then proceeded to describe in detail all the tasks I performed.
When all the leftovers get eaten, I feel triumphant. I feel our carbon footprint (how much waste you produce and how much energy you use) is small and I’m contributing to the health of the earth. But when those leftovers don’t get eaten, I have a yard waste bin that is also for food compost. So if I have to throw them in the yard waste bin, I don’t feel as successful as if we had consumed the leftovers, but at least I’m helping to create compost for the good of the community.
And speaking of the yard waste bin, that in itself makes me happy. I avoided getting one for years thinking it would be too expensive. In the early years of my marriage I had a small flower garden and I would throw the weeds in the back corner of our property. Our dog would dig out there and turn it like compost. After the dog died, the area became overgrown and I didn’t want to add to it with more weeds, plus I had expanded the garden beyond the capacity of the little corner. So I would borrow my husband’s truck for a couple days, weed like crazy and take it all to the compost dump. Needless to say it was very exhausting and I tended to put it off until it was cold and raining.
Finally I called the waste department and asked them how much a yard waste bin would be. I was shocked it was only $7.50 a month including the bin. I ordered one and when it came the angels sang from above. I was able to weed at a more leisurely pace; my goal being to fill it up every two weeks for its scheduled dump. Every time I go to use it I can’t help but smile.
On top of that, we create less traditional garbage because we can throw bones and food scraps in the yard waste bin. We have a smaller garbage can, which saves us money and we have a smaller carbon foot print, which makes me feel “green.”
That is definitely a life worth living. Now if only someone would pay me.
Gretchen Leigh is a stay-at-home mom who lives in Covington. She is committed to writing about the humor amidst the chaos of a family. You can read more of her writing and her daily blog on her website livingwithgleigh.com.
