This is meaningful work

I never had a big career. I had jobs before I was married, but I have mostly been a homemaker all of these years. Many people in my circle had meaningful careers -- my brother, my sister, my father, both of my grandmothers. My husband has worked in cancer research for the last 20 years. I'd say that's meaningful work. Many researchers and medical personnel are doing very meaningful work.

But there are more types of meaningful work. The family who raises cattle to sell to us in the form of beef is doing very meaningful work, in my opinion. The men who pick up our garbage every week have meaningful jobs. My friend who is a teacher in the public school system, here, is daily doing meaningful work. There's a long list of types of public work that are meaningful.

What about the work that outsiders never see?

I stayed up at nights when my babies had croup. I cuddled my toddlers when teething pain seemed to overwhelm them. I taught all three how to read and write. I'd say that was meaningful work. 

Today I was digging potatoes. My trowel scooped up dirt to reveal purple and red beauties hidden beneath the surface of one of the beds. I piled them into a box and watched the amount grow. I had a moment when I thought, "now this is meaningful work, too." Growing food and cooking for my family has been meaningful work. Providing a warm and welcoming home for family to return to every night is meaningful work. That's not to say that women who choose to have careers aren't also doing meaningful work. Nor does it suggest that career women can't make their homes a welcoming refuge from the world for their families. Both ways are meaningful.

What made me think about this today? I had a long phone meeting this morning, fielding retirement-related advice for my husband. The advisor asked about my work history. I felt I had the need to explain how my life as a homemaker has been a meaningful one. I didn't over explain, but I did feel like I needed to compensate and be the most articulate version of myself. I know I've been valuable to my family, but I often think others don't see it. Meaningful work has many faces.

Some day in the future, my mind won't work as well as it does now. But I'll still be able to plant and dig potatoes, albeit more slowly than now and with stiffened joints. I'll still have meaningful work.

What Is the Most Embarrassing Money Mistake You've Made Recently?

I'll share mine, here, and you can share yours in the comments.

Mine:

I finally made it to WinCo this morning. I had a long, long list, all of my shopping bags (so I would't have to pay for bags), and $180 in cash. WinCo is a cash or debit card only. I don't have a debit card. So I brought cash. I don't normally bring that much with me, as I don't normally spend that much in one shopping trip. In fact, my last big stock-up at WinCo was about $140, a month ago.

I got everything on my list, as well as a couple of treats for my husband. My shopping cart was very full. I laid it all out on the conveyor belt and the checkout began. I was combination bagging my own groceries (it's a bag your own place) and keeping an eye on the cash register subtotal.

When I saw the subtotal was nearing $170 and there was still a lot of stuff to be checked out, I began to sweat. I had to tell the check-out clerk that I had just $180 cash and I would need to put some things back.  She was very nice, but the people in line behind me were a bit annoyed, as I (fast as I could) decided what to put back. A stock person came and picked up a couple of the large price items to put back. Then I checked my purse again and found another $20. Okay, so now I was up to $200 in cash. So I was able to put the whole chicken back into my bag. The two other items that were put back were now gone. 

At the end of the checkout (with me apologizing profusely to the clerk and other people in line), I actually still had $20 leftover. I took my groceries out to the car, loaded up the trunk, then went back into the store to see how I could buy the last 2 items on my list. As it turned out, I didn't have enough money to buy the largest sizes of both items. But by downsizing one item to the medium size, I could buy the largest of the other. I did skip the clerk-operated checkout and went to self-checkout. I didn't want to see the clerk again.

Anyway, having to put back some items at the check out is one of the more embarrassing things that can happen at the grocery store. There's that feeling that everyone is thinking you're poor as dirt.

Next time I go to WinCo, I'll bring way, way, way more than I think I will need.

Your turn -- what embarrassing money mistake have you made recently or ever?