Tuesday, February 26, 2008

How are you drudging today?

"When domesticity, for instance, is called drudgery, all the difficulty arises from a double meaning in the word. If drudgery only means dreadfully hard work, I admit the woman drudges in the home, as a man might drudge at the Cathedral of Amiens or drudge behind a gun at Trafalgar. But if it means that the hard work is more heavy because it is trifling, colorless and of small import to the soul, then as I say, I give it up; I do not know what the words mean.

To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors and holidays; to be Whiteley within a certain area, providing toys, boots, sheets, cakes and books, to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it.

How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe?

How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone?
No; a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness."

-- G.K. Chesterton

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!

Great reminder. So glad you like it too! (And Chesterton is awesome!)

-- Julie in Cincy

Sandi said...

I think Mr. Chesterton lost me!! But good to see you blogging!!

Love you
Mom

Sandi said...

Added comment,,, after rereading this about 5 times,, I think I got it by jove!!!! Good words.

Love
Mom