Working Woman Ahead

 So today, I had a fleeting moment of envy.

I was out in our pastures, working with hubby to get everything prepared 

for our vintage show coming up in just TWELVE DAYS.

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Sorry, that's just me picking myself back up off the floor.

Too much to do and too little time to do it all.

Anyway

We were mowing and moving some wire fencing and some big fenceposts around. At one point, we had to dig some gnarly trenches to add support to the driveways. I was digging in dirt and gravel, all hot and sweaty and tired and sore, and feeling decidedly not strong enough, and those miserable thoughts started swirling around my head...

Why do I have to be one of these strong, 'sturdy' women, anyway?

Why can't I be a princess who never has to do physical work? 

One of those girls who gets to watch from the sidelines and 'direct' while dressed in pretty dresses and cute sandals, sporting a stylish hairdo, perfect pedi and manicured nails. (As opposed to my dirty jeans, hair in a ponytail, broken nails, and soggy tennis shoes....) I see those girls all over the place, at shows and events and stores, just waving a hand while their minions happily do all the heavy lifting.

Yeah, where exactly have I gone wrong here - and where do I sign up for THAT life?

That was exactly what was running through my mind. For all of fifteen seconds. 

And then, I looked up. 

I saw my husband standing next to me, wielding a shovel and working even harder than I. I watched him pick up huge rocks and big logs, and wrestle them into place. As I gazed at him, I remembered the days and weeks that he laid in a hospital bed with a raging fever and a damaged leg, nearly unconscious from the pain and drugs, hearing every day that he MIGHT get to keep his leg if the infection got under control. But even so, he might never walk again. And now, here he is, working alongside me just as if that whole horrible period of our lives never happened last fall.

And I realized that this life we have, of working together toward our dreams and goals, working on our home and property and business, working side by side every day, is worth far more than looking pretty or not getting dirty and sweaty. It's worth more than feeling like 'one of the girls' who gets to go to those girlfriends retreat weekends or crafty gatherings, or even gets to be photographed with other girls wearing fancy schmancy dresses at shows and events. I'd love to do all that, I really would.... but being beside the love of my life in dirty jeans is where my life has brought me, and I am more than blessed to be here. I wouldn't trade it for a bevy of minions. 

I've walked my path in tennis shoes instead of sparkly stilettos... 

and I'm OK with that now. And damn, I AM a strong woman!