WOMEN’S WORK
THIS week’s column is dedicated to women… and it’s right on time.
That’s because International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on the 8th of March. And since I’m a big fan of the unsung contributions many women make, I’m going to try to use this week’s piece to improve our appreciation of housewives and mothers.
That doesn’t mean, however, there won’t be anything in here for male readers. As a matter of fact, there will probably be more for them than for the ladies!
I’d like to start though, by asking both sexes to take a good look at the picture at the top of this page.
There are three very interesting things happening there. First of all, the man of the house is washing the dishes. Secondly, he is sharing the experience with his daughter. And thirdly… and I think this is really important, he is smiling. That probably means he is happy, and I’m guessing the woman of the house is happy as well… assuming she is getting some rest, as opposed to changing the transmission on hubby’s car.
So, my first point is for everyone; housework, like most types of work, is what we make of it.
It can be a series of dreary, mind-numbing chores, or it can be a variety of rewarding experiences. That may sound a bit rich to some of you… especially housework weary women who may think I’ve never been in charge of cleaning and maintaining a home.
But that’s not true. I’ve got
25 years’ experience, and I even ran a guesthouse for seven years when I often cleaned the bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms by myself. And believe it or not, I often enjoyed doing those jobs. Even the repetitive stuff could be seen as a meditation if I managed to focus on doing each job as well as I could.
The thing is, I found it difficult to maintain that attitude, so it really helped when I didn’t have to do the rooms every day or when someone else shared the chores with me. Which means my second point is mainly for the men; a little bit of help around the house can go a long way.
Okay, a lot of help might be better, but things like dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, washing dishes and cleaning work areas can get the person doing them – usually a woman – down, because those jobs do not stay done. They have to be performed over and over again.
It can be thankless work, so I’m suggesting the men out there who don’t already do it, say thank you by helping out. And I’m also saying doing that doesn’t have to be painful. It can be meditative, or it can be quality time with your mate or with your children.
Which brings us back to that picture. Let’s look at the man washing dishes again. Do any of you feel sorry for him?
He may be doing what’s often called ‘women’s work’, but I certainly don’t. He’s happy and he seems to have a solid relationship with his daughter. So maybe by helping out, being involved, and trying to make his partner’s life a bit easier, he has made his own life better as well.