On Being A Wife

August 22, 2009

My husband and I have been married almost a year. Although I’m not planning on trading in my scrubs and stethoscope anytime soon, I have this crazy idea that I can be both a full-time, successful nurse and a fantastic, domestic wife. In my mind that means everything from keeping the house clean, doing chores, cooking frequent meals, budgeting and saving money, decorating the house, entertaining, and gardening to birthing babies and keeping my husband happy.

In some of those areas I am quite deficient, which bothers me if I’m honest with myself. So yesterday, my day off, I resolved to be the perfect housewife.

First there were the four piles of dog vomit that needed to be cleaned. Step One: pick up the bulk and throw it away. Step Two: vacuum the dry pieces left behind. Step Three: spray with pet stain remover and forget about it for hours on end. Step Four: drizzle with water and scrub. Step Five: blot dry. I’m sure you have all been dying to know that information your whole life.

Then there was dinner to prepare for. I found this recipe for spicy meatballs in creamy beef broth and was bound and determined to make it happen. I spent an hour or so on the prep and then they were in the Crockpot cooking away. Later on I cleaned the house, paid some bills, and was just settling down to read when David came home. After some last minute preparations we ate dinner together (success) and I asked him how his day at work was. Then he took a nap and I read.

But the crucial part of the day came when I went to see Julie & Julia with my mom. It was a great movie that we both loved, and it affected me on several levels. Most obviously, it encouraged me to cook more. It also made me want to continue to be devoted to my blog while adhering to personal boundaries. I could write an entire post about either of those subjects.

But one thing that especially stood out to me in the movie was how these two women had amazing husbands. I kept expecting something to go very wrong with their relationships like it usually does in movies, but it never did. This movie made me want to be a great wife, and I don’t mean by cooking elaborate meals.

I’ve been married for almost eleven months, and I am trying to learn how to cook, decorate my house, live on a budget, and hopefully even birth some babies along the way while balancing my vocation as a nurse. This blog is in large part a record of those things. But most importantly, I just want to love my husband. I want to love him better all the time. Lucky for me, he’s quite lovable.

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Posted in: personal, domestication, personal, goals, personal


Comments on On Being A Wife

  1. 1

    From Lauren From Texas:

    so cute! i am loving this :) i know exactly what you mean.

  2. 2

    From Tabaitha Kaye:

    I have heard some many good things about that movie and if I had the chance to go to the movies, I would see it. Instead, I’ll look forward to when it comes out on DVD. And I have no doubt that you are a great wife for David, because not only did he choose you as his wife, so did God.

  3. 3

    From Ro:

    So that’s how you clean dog vomit! :-)

    I can’t wait to watch Julie & Julia! And to be a wife myself! :-)

  4. 4

    From mediumcrazy:

    I can relate on this one…I’ve been married almost four months, and I sometimes feel guilty that I don’t make meals often enough. I’m still a little attached to my “living alone” habits of just snacking sometimes at night and not having a sit down dinner. I just so need to have some “me time” in my life that I don’t always want to waste those precious few hours after work cooking. But I’m TRYING to get into better habits…maybe you’ll help inspire me :)

  5. 5

    From Chelsea:

    Great post. I couldn’t agree more. I LOVED that the two couples were so in love. They had fun together and laughed together and supported each other. It was a refreshing movie. Loved is more than I could put into words.

  6. 6

    From Mom:

    Funny–my reaction to the movie is the same as yours. Even 30 years later, “I just want to love my husband. I want to love him better all the time.”

  7. 7

    From kapachino:

    Aww, how sweet Mom!

  8. 8

    From Kyla Roma:

    This is so cute- my husband and I are both like this, which makes for a hilarious marriage. We pout and feel like slackers in our relationship if the other person “does everything” (this is a constant complaint from both sides lol) and have had to come up with a chores list that we divvy up so we both feel like we’re contributing.

    At the same time I’m going back to school this year (more like next week!!) and I’ve switched to working part time 3 days a week so I can study and take care of the house & puppies on those other days. Already I feel like life is a thousand times more manageable & like I’m going to be able to be more active in my marriage because of it.

    Good luck in finding your balance!

  9. 9

    From Mindy:

    I appreciated that very same aspect of the movie! (Aside from swooning over Meryl’s acting skills…) I went home afterward and said to Raul, “Thank you for being you!” He was like, what…? :) This is also what I liked about Marley and Me…that movie/book is more about their marriage than the dog, really!

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