What’s your title?

Last weekend as Mr. Dunbar was ordering our delectable breakfast from the little cafe with freshly squeezed OJ, I was snapping pictures. The family right next to me was pretty enamored with what I was doing.

So  when I was done clicking, I smiled, said “Good Morning.”  This was the gateway to a conversation:

The husband to me “Getting decorating ideas?”

Me to him: “Nope, just snapping some shots of my husband and this cute cafe. We’re only here for the weekend.”

Him to me: “Oh really? Where are you all from?”

Me to him and now his very interested wife: “California.”

At this point Mr. Dunbar walked up and right out introduced himself, he’s friendly like that.

The husband asked us about California and if its really as bad as the media makes it sound, he and Mr. Dunbar talked shop, and then the husband turned to me and asked, “And what do you do?”

HUH?

I thought quickly and then mumbled, “I’m a mom… and a wife.”

No title.

I feel or have felt the need to always answer that question with, “Well I stay home now, but I am a teacher; an educator of young minds.” Or “I was  a teacher, elementary school, with a Master’s Degree!!”  Justification.

This one question has been rearing itself in my brain ever since. What do I “do”? Job title? Profession?  Well let’s see… I do laundry, lots of laundry, I wash dishes, wipe noses and butts, I take care of owies and teach the ABC’s (including Phoneme isolation, Phoneme identity, Oral segmenting, Oral blending and Onset-rime manipulation; ie teacher mumbo jumbo)  I’m a chauffeur, and a cook,  an Outlook calendar, and correspondence representative. I’m raising men; God-honoring future leaders of homes, families, and companies. (Although I am only the co-director of that last segment.) I’m also a help-meet, a lover, sometimes ironer, dry-cleaners picker-upper, errand runner, money spender, and family budgetier. Well, kind of.

Self given titles like Happy Housewife have crossed my mind. Or even Domestic Engineer. That demands respect, right? Or perhaps CEO of Dunbar’s Inc.?  Yes, that’s what I am! Well, okay, not really.

But honestly the only title I want is “Homemaker.” 

I want to create the place where my men feel at rest, where my kids know they get to play mud Cake Party in their new $1 pails from Michaels, get to eat a freshly baked brownie, and know that mom is just down the hall when they have a fever and diarrhea. I want my husband to come home to a homemade healthy dinner, clean clothes, wine in the fridge, and a good night kiss. (Even though I’ve blown it BIG TIME this week.)

Being a homemaker means that I am in charge of making this place a home, a haven. There is no boss coming in and out of here, checking to make sure that I am meeting my goals and that my objectives are clearly marked. No reports showing results as ‘Exceeded, Met or Not Met.’ There is little to no feedback and my results won’t show for another 10 or 15 or 20 years.   But my hope above all hopes is that when I see my true boss face to face, or more like my face to His feet, He will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”  And perhaps some day before that “Her children arise and call her blessed;  her husband also, and he praises her.” Now that is a goal that takes a lifetime.

But as for titles, I think “Homemaker” will work just fine.

That’s what I {strive] to do.

~mrs. dunbar