I Am...

a referee. a rule enforcer. a pet owner to little kids acting as puppies. a maid. a teacher. a playdate. a chef. a wife. a photographer in training. a chauffeur. a grocery getter. a sister. a musician who can't play a darn thing but must when my girls need a beat to dance to. a twin. a money manager. a dishwasher. a Pippi Longstocking reader by night. a lunch packer. a laundry mat who doesn't collect any quarters-darn it. a friend. a compulsive organizer. a pretty good basketball player on Henry's little hoop. a riot. a positive thinker. a sewer.

I had to fill out a form for our new car (guess what we got) and I stared at that line next to "occupation". I usually leave that line blank. But I really hate that line. I could fill it in with any of the above and it'd be true, especially that part about being a riot, but I choose to just skip right over it. I skip over it, because I don't know what to put there. How do I summarize what I do everyday into an occupation title? What I do is the most important job there is. Yet, I still leave that lousy little line blank. Then I let it bug me forever that I didn't fill it in. So, from here on out, I'm filling that line in. It will read "I am a mother" from now on. And I am proud of that.

Post-edit note: I came back and re-read this post. I asked Joe how to spell "sew-er" (as in seamstress-but that sounds too professional. I'm just a sew-er.) Well, he told me. I said, "Doesn't that spell sewer though?" Yes, yes it does. But in this case both apply. I am a sew-er. And a sewer-someone who carries waste matter for dumping. Yes. That is me too. I'm up to my elbows in sewerness.