When my now-husband and I began dating seriously, he asked me to move in with him. Had I not had your influence, I probably would have happily agreed. Instead, I told him I would never live with a man I wasn’t married to and was disappointed he’d even asked. He was completely shocked.
Several months later, he brought up the idea of marriage. I told him I wanted to be a mother, so if he wasn’t interested in having children, we should part ways at that point. Then I told him I had to be a stay-at-home mother. He was truly stunned. He didn’t know any woman who left her career to raise her children! I was very clear that this was a deal-breaker. He agreed, although I knew he was only doing so because he loved me and wanted to marry me.
When our daughter was born two years after we married, all of his reservations disappeared. He was instantly in love and so protective, he didn’t even want to leave her with my mother for two hours for us to get a break! While it has not always been easy, he is glad I insisted on staying at home.
Thank you for giving me the backbone to risk losing him in order to do the right thing for my future children. Sadly, my kids are in the vast minority among their peers who have a mom who “doesn’t have a job.” But they are truly grateful I am there to pick them up from school every day and feel genuinely sorry for their friends who spend four or five extra hours a day without their family. I am thrilled to be passing your torch on to them.
Deborah
I Protected My Future Children