I have family responsibilities as a mother, a wife, but I always have to remember myself as Janet.
Becoming a mother wasn’t something I planned at the time. Because I was only 17, I basically had to grow up overnight. One day I was Janet and the next day I was mommy. Since then I have had someone to care for other than myself. Doctor’s appointments, midnight feedings and diaper changing are some of the responsibilities I gained overnight and these are just about 2 percent of it all.
As the years went by, I became a mommy to three more, so now my responsibilities have expanded. I now have to get up in the morning, get my children ready, disburse them to their designated areas (school, daycare, etc.), go to my place of employment, pick up my children from their designated areas, get home and help with homework, cook dinner, get them ready for the next day and finally deteriorate. Being a mommy is something I would never give up for the world but it does take a toll on me at times.
I became a mother before I became a wife. Becoming a wife has taught me the difference in responsibilities of being a mother. To be a responsible wife I have to understand my husband and his needs. Because his needs are different from my children’s, my responsibilities are different. It’s not jotted down like a contract or anything like that. However, it’s understood between the two of us. It consists of me being his walking address book, phone book, calculator, dictionary, bookkeeper and the list goes on. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it.
On top of those daily family responsibilities, I always have to take time out and remember “ME.” I was my only responsibility before becoming a mother and a wife. Therefore I could never forget the responsibilities I have on myself. I always have to be sure to be on top of things everyday, be ahead of my game, do things right the first time because I don’t have time in my life to do them again, to never let anything in life slow me down, and when it does, take time out and relax. Basically my only responsibility these days is to try my hardest to keep my sanity.