a stay at home mom

While waiting to pick Kal up from preschool, I began a conversation with a woman who was there to pick up her great grandson.  She watches both her great-grandson and his little sister so her granddaughter can work.  She makes the comment to me that she was a stay-at-home mother but watched her granddaughter while her daughter worked and now watches the great-grandchildren while her granddaughter works.  She proceeds to say "It is just too hard to live on one salary these days.  The woman has to work to afford anything."  I'm not a shy person when it comes to this topic and I didn't want to  come off as a fanatic.  I certainly feel that each person should make their own decision on whether or not to work or stay at home.  My sister proclaims that she could never be a stay at home b/c she would go nuts.  I simply replied "My husband and I made the decision before we got married that I would stay at home if we had kids.  It was a choice that was made early on.  My husband even went into work and asked for a raise b/c I was pregnant and we knew I would not work anymore.  He was able to get a raise and it takes work.  You give up things, fun things but you learn your priorities and I love being with my kids."
Though the conversation wasn't a long one and though it wasn't an indepth thing, it has been in my mind all day.  Especially when I get in the mail, the credit card bill that includes new van tires, a new timing belt for the car, and the new battery for the van.  Let's not forget some of our Christmas gifts for the kids....oh, and two little boys' birthday presents for the end of November.  NO!  Being an one-salary family is NOT easy.  No!  It is NOT something that anybody and everybody does.  And YES!  there are times that I worry or we tighten our belts or we go without things.  We are not rich financially!  We are not financially set for life!  We do not take family vacations every year or even every other year.  BUT we are rich!  We are blessed!  We are healthy!  We are family!  We are a couple that made a decision that was not easy then and is not easy now.  We stick by our standards, our faith, our hope, and our family.  So yes, I've thought alot about this today.  Yes, I'm a stay at home mom.  And NO!  I wouldn't have it any other way!