An A4 sheet on which to write my story.......

The sounds of a home are what I hear right now - the woosh woosh of the washing machine as it cleans the bed linen, the whir of the tumble drier,  the sound of gentle rain drops on the skylights of the kitchen (hence the whirring of the drier), the click of my fingers as they fly (stagger) over the computer keys, the ticking of the clock on the wall, the soft rumble of boiling water in the kettle, the sizzle of bratwurst cooking on the stove, the soft murmur of voices from the TV and the ring, now and then, of the phone.

An ordinary day. A comfortable day. The sound of the pen scratching through things on the ever present "to do" list.

Yesterday, I wrote a brief synopsis of my life from age 17-57 for the 40th School Reunion booklet being prepared for the November gathering  in South Africa. There will be many with a great number of accomplishments to relate. Interesting women. Daring women. Trail-blazers. Wonder women.

Me?

Hmmm.

This is how I started it........

No great achievements here, girls – no awards, fancy bits or starring roles. I never did head a fortune 500 company either. Nor did I grace the runways of fashion houses (at this point I am bordering on hysteria here at the thought). No.

I have lived an ordinary life, which has included both hemispheres. I have travelled, seen a great deal, experienced more, and along the way, I raised 3 children which I count as my greatest achievement, and one which makes me very proud. My life is good, and filled with a million things for which I am deeply thankful. 

There have been spectacular “ups” and monumental “downs”. But retaining the ability to laugh, to believe, to hope, and a commitment to go and enjoy each and every moment of my days – these are what have shaped my life. Faith. Family. Friends. 

And then I wrote about other things. The things I love. The people who matter. Assessing one's life on an A4 page. Well. I have never had a problem dreaming up words. It is getting them to stop which is the problem.  The content is another story. 

I wonder what everyone else will write? I was speaking to a friend who is contemplating retirement one day in the not too distant future, and this was a comment made - "My work seems to define who I am. I have spent all my working life giving 150% to my job." I understand that. I have also always been unable to simply do what I have been expected to do. Paid or not. I have put in endless unpaid hours trying to be better, do more, and do the best I could possibly do. 

Take it away, and who is left? What is left? 

I know that when my father retired, he made it about a couple of months before he was back at work in an "advisory" capacity for supposedly 3 hours a day. He worked normal hours for him - 8am-5pm, 6pm, or maybe later. And got paid for 3 hours a day, but he was happy. His work defined who he was. 

So my chosen career, at 22, was that of mother. And I probably put in more than 150%. And it defined who I am too. It still does. There were no contracted office hours. Actually, the small print may have said something about life, but I was too busy being a mother to read it. I tried to do more than my best. I knew just what was riding on it, and it was the most important thing in the world. To me. ultimately, to my children as well.


The hobbies, and skills I have now were acquired along the way, alongside the mothering skills. Andrew needed exercise books stitched together. You can stitch paper? Really? Let's experiment. Diana needed her name embroidered on her sport shirts. Get a book and learn how, and ooh look, there are more fascinating stitches. Let's try some. The children wanted bright sweatshirts - so why don't I buy an overlocker (serger) and learn how to zap them up? David needs to have a Power Ranger costume, Diana needs a chicken costume, double-sided sticky tape is great for covering school books, but why don't I try fabric covered notebooks, Andrew wants a castle party....


And so the fanciful cakes happened by trial and error. I took cake icing classes. My friends and I taught each other. The clothes were made, the scraps used to make quilts, and so it all began. Because I was a mother. 


Now I am just talking about me here, but so many things the children were interested in triggered interests for me too, which became passions and delights. And then there was the house which needed to be altered to fit us all in, the garden, and so it went. More skills because I needed to make our home somewhere my family could enjoy being in. The books came and stayed. The machines came and stayed. The skills were fine-tuned and grow and keep growing. 


I taught myself to crochet last year because I wanted a ripple blanket. And then my daughter wanted a hat, and so I taught myself how to crochet a hat. There is no signing out time to motherhood. The hours don't count. I learned along with my children, and I hope they will keep doing the same with their kids too. 


I see my daughter-in-law baking with Missy and I grin, because there you are - motherhood in action. Not just one cake now and then, but regular baking and fun and enjoyment, and skills which keep growing for both of them. Daring to try something new and different, and finding what works, and what you want to forget too. There have been plenty of non-starters in my life. But, as I said, trial and error. You don't know until you try. . 


My work defines who I am too. Who I have become. And in a sense, this could be the time when I "retire" sort of, from full time motherhood. However, all those years of learning and growing - they are what fill my days now. Those skills. There is never enough time in a day.


Every job we do, whether paid or unpaid gets to define a huge part of who we are, doesn't it? Our character, the fibre inside us. Just as long as there is some balance in there, and the focus remains on the most important things in our lives - the people - then I reckon we are doing really well.  


So I will read about everyone with delight and interest but I have nothing to be ashamed of either. I have had a great job, and I have given it everything I had to give and more. 


And loved every moment.