It's a response to "Open letter to working moms" (I can put that here, if you're interested - it's equally smug but not nearly so amusing).
Kim,
I thank you for this challenge. I have not worked since I was married, but I am tempted to get a job often.
We live in a horrid house (with snakes and rodents in the walls), but we pay only $200/month, which is ridiculously low (even for MO). The only way we could afford to move would be for me to work, but I cannot/must not give into the discontentment that would drive me to that decision.
Our van is nice, a 2003 model, and it is our only car, but we are about to loose it (we are 60+ days past due, you only get 90 days).
My husband could not get a job that paid over minimum wage, even though he has a college degree…
And we have hospital bills galore, because we don’t have insurance.
That said, I often think “If I got a job we could get caught up on bills and get out of debt.” I have great compassion and sympathy for working moms, because I think I know some of the financial stress that drives them there.
But, ultimately, I CHOOSE to live in poverty to stay with the kids. Some here might attack me, saying that I am choosing poverty for my kids. I accept that charge. My husband and I believe that my staying home with the kids (and home schooling them) is far more important that living above the poverty level. It is a tearful and hard choice. I still struggle with it daily, but we will keep going on.
Thank you for your encouragement.
Bethany W in mid-MO
All I can think of is muthaf*ckin snakes in the muthaf*ckin walls, which makes me read this in my head in Samuel L. Jackson's voice.