Working

What are we working for, anyway?

This is, of course, a rhetorical question, but it seems to me that many people are not working for anything but money. Is money even real? If it didn't exist, we still would, but we would be required to have each other's backs, wouldn't we?

If you knew that you would look back on your life and wonder, 'where has all the time gone?' , 'what do I have to show for all my hard work?', or, 'who did I help?', would you change how you spend your days? Would you reconsider what is more important in the big picture?

'Oh, Marna, you and your big picture perspective. People have to eat and they need a place to live.' Of course they do! I'm not arguing against good, wholesome food. I AM arguing against extravagance, however. I don't think anybody needs to 'live large' - so large that they have no time to enjoy their big house or their toys, because they are always working to pay for it all. These people also usually have families they hardly ever see.

What does living large prove, anyway? I mean, aside from the willingness to ignore the millions of starving people in the world. Extravagance equals waste, inevitably. Those who care about others, or about the future of the planet, tend to be more conservative in their consumption. Those who don't care... well, they really just don't care, do they?

If it could be lost in a fire, or someone could steal it, it does not matter. People matter more than things.

There are people who have to do the dirtiest, most abhorrent things to survive. Why should we judge them?

What about the people who refuse to work? Isn't somebody enabling their survival? I use the word, 'enabling', to address, for example, the parents of lazy but able-bodied grown children. They are NOT doing their 'kids' any favours by paying for their undeserved lifestyles of video games, brand new toys and restaurant food. If someone has the luxury of time and they refuse to work, they should not be fed, much less indulged with privilege. These vampires are why the world is in the state it is in now!

I currently work about six jobs. This is not because I am money-hungry, however. I have been blessed with many creative gifts and I like to share them.

My job as a reporter definitely fills the bulk of my time, but the things I get to do on the side are, simply, 'more irons in the fire' - because, wisdom says, having multiple streams of income is always a good idea. I am able to improve the lives of others through my cleaning work, for example, because I do it with love. I also love teaching people various creative methods, like how to make yummy and healthy food. This is energy expenditure, but it hardly feels like work! I also sometimes make food for people, which is second nature to me as a nurturer. Finally, and most recently, I help my son with his paper route.

Yes, my son is not yet seven-years-old and his attitude toward work is excellent. He knows his parents are always working (whether Dad is researching, Mom is writing, or both are teaching) and that we both love what we do. When we love what we do, it is less like work and more like 'living the dream'!

My most important job, of course, is being a mother. Being a parent is a 24/7 job as it is! There are no breaks, let alone people to cover us for 'vacations'.

The expression, 'just a stay-at-home mom' is about the most ridiculous phrase I have ever heard. It is infuriating to those who are doing the most important job on the planet. As a child, having someone there for you, who loves you unconditionally, is absolutely irreplaceable. So is the time spent with your kids while they are young.

Being home with children is not easy, either. Being home all day means the house gets used more and when homes are lived in, they get messier and require more cleaning. To me, housework is worth it because of the finished product. (I know, stay-at-home parents are asking, 'when is it EVER finished?').

Parenting has countless rewards. Investing our time and energy into our kids pays off because it satisfies the body and the soul. Knowing you have passed along your genes, your values and your hard work (from birth to .... well, does it ever stop?) is what keeps us going as humans.

Aside from making sure my family has food, shelter, clothing and proper priorities, I am working toward having enough funds for the various humanitarian tasks that I feel I must do in my lifetime. I don't plan to ever retire from helping people in whatever way I may best serve.

So, ask yourself if, at the end of the day, if you have served your best. If you can sleep just fine knowing that you helped (or that you didn't), then maybe you can answer my rhetorical questions. Either way, you will answer for your choices!