Homemakers Make Homes

Homemaker. Now there’s a term you don’t hear mentioned a lot anymore. Many women identify more with the occupation they’re currently being paid to show up for. But what of the other roles they fill? Like ‘Homemaker’? Is it one they value? Is it one they respect?

Homemaker is an umbrella term that covers many roles. Mother is likely the most common one that comes to mind, but I think it’s definition is much broader. Mother is the nurturer. A Homemaker also ‘makes homes’ (and yes, the capitalization is on purpose! This role deserves to be a proper noun!).

As busy women, we’re doing every day, every hour, every minute, what needs to be done to nurture and care for whoever is in our family - even if that’s just our own individual selves. Have you stopped to consider how you are also filling the role of Homemaker? It just seems to come naturally for us. Some men are also very adept at this, but it seems to be the women who usually step up and do this. I don’t even think we act intentionally in most environments, it’s more of an impulse.

Ok, envision this - you’ve just arrived at a hotel. What are the little things you do to make yourself, and anyone else with you, comfortable? How do you settle in? How do you make it feel more like ‘home’? Are you starting to see where I’m going with this?!

Now, recreate this scenario, but substitute a car, plane, train, bus, tent, cabin, camper, bleachers, beach, waiting room, pew, office, hospital room… (insert anything else that comes to mind!). You get the idea! Wherever we find ourselves spending even 1/2 an hour, we can’t seem to help but make it comfortable for ourselves or others.

I think of this as being “Homemakers” wherever we are.

Are we proud of this role? I wish we could all give ourselves more credit and cut each other some slack in the expectations department. We’re also now trying to manage in an environment that requires even more diligence for detail - where are the masks, has everyone washed their hands, keep some distance, don’t touch that..

Together, with kindness, we will navigate this new world and come away better and stronger and more resilient than ever. Making homes wherever we find ourselves and our loved ones. I’m so proud of us!

For more on my thoughts about this subject, check out my IGTV video. Just follow the Instagram link at the top of the page to find me.

xo Deena