A Letter To Myself

Dear Me,

I just want you to know that I do not regret my decision to stay home with my children.  Yes there are times when they stress me out, and when they drive me crazy.  There are times that have been very difficult financially and emotionally.  I know I have complained many times as I have struggled through my challenges.  But I do not regret my decision to get married when I did.  I do not regret choosing to stay home and raise my children instead of letting a daycare raise them for me as I seek after another career.  As a mom to my kids I am loved, and my kids need me more than any other paying job I could invest time into.  My work may not be as prestigious as I had once dreamed it would be, but it is more important than any other work I could do.  As the leaders of my church (LDS) have taught "No other success can compensate for failure in the home"- David O. McKay.  I am doing exactly what my religion teaches its members they should do.  If you have the means, and ability then women should stay home and rear their children, and raise them in righteousness.  The man and the woman are equal partners in marriage and they have different rolls.  The husband is primarily responsible for providing protection, and financial support and the wife is primarily responsible for nurturing children.  (This is not saying that men should not be involved in their children's lives, men still need to be a father to their children).  My husband works enough for the both of us.  My life may not have turned out as I thought it would, it turned out much better.  I am proud of my decisions, I am proud of my accomplishments and the progress I have made in learning to eat and live healthier.  Most importantly I am HAPPY, and now I know I am happy.  So dear self, get out of my way, stop thinking about the past, stop hating me, stop saying that I am useless and fat and worthless because those things are lies woven to ensnare me in the net of misery.  I am not going to be bound by those lies anymore.  I am beautiful and deserving of love.  I do work hard, I have made progress, I have purpose and meaning in my life and yes I am happy.