For Titilope, the term “housewife” had always been one she met with some discomfort, and perhaps a little disdain. But an opportunity to move to Asia with her family, gave new insight and meaning to this often misunderstood term. She shares her inspiring and insightful experience with us.
So…I’m currently a housewife.
Looking back, if anyone had told me that there would come a time in my life where I would be and proudly call myself a housewife, I would have laughed at the incredulity of it! Me? A housewife? Nuh uh!!! Why? You may ask. Well, A housewife to me, had always represented the antithesis of all I stood for. Let me explain: Housewife = NOT a career woman, sleeping at home all day, feeding fat on spousal support, unambitious, skill-less, dreams-less and so on and so forth. Don’t blame me completely, blame the sometimes unfair and skewed portrayals of housewives that I had been exposed to growing up.
But today, I’ve come a long way from the person who grudgingly filled out ‘housewife’ on the (Brunei) immigration forms, to the person who now realises what a tremendous blessing it is.
Indeed, in the course of my current ‘housewifery’ in Brunei, I have been privileged to meet other housewives who have worn and still wear other hats in various fields of endeavour; fields the world ‘approves’ of such as healthcare, finance, education, science and tech, social enterprise, communications, the arts, civil administration and so on. I look at these women everyday and they continue to inspire me beyond words. It is just one chapter in a book of many, and there will always be more to look forward to.
So now, I know and appreciate the fact that I’m able to be there for my family in this way, whilst still being able to pursue my own aspirations and interests, previously shelved due to the eternal ‘professional rat race’.
I’m learning to be slower to assume knowledge about people’s titles and lives I haven’t lived. In sum, Judge others not and focus on your own race: it’s unique to you and besides, it’s the only one you’ll ever truly know.
So here’s to all housewives, (by choice or by circumstance) it ain’t always easy but it’s well worth it, now and in the end.
Carpe Diem.
