Today’s society is marked by many things different from the past. Let’s not judge it as good or bad. However, what happens when you are known for what you do. The identity of a person is his/her work (professional work). What happens to that stay at home MOM/DAD and to that unemployed partner? Identity crisis or Depression?
The dilemma of being something yet nothing :
When you work hard but the work does not pay you in terms of money you are nothing. But that same work makes life better to live and helps in nourishing a life it is something. quite confusing, isn’t it? the unpaid homemakers and mothers or fathers feel the same. Confusion of being who? a person with job or without a job. In a country where you are recognized by what you do their work seems nothing. However, going by the culture and tradition they are the caregivers, and it is their duty to work towards the betterment of family. Although, when you ask them what you do? the answer is nothing. So there is always a dilemma is it worth? am I something or nothing?
A homemaker and no one:
Let’s not go further and talk about me. This is may be after a gap of one and a half year I am writing something. May be not relevant for many but for that one percent like me. I am a mother of two beautiful girls one is six months old and the other one is 23 months. I never worked in an industrial setup, I am a highly qualified person. But I choose to stay at home. Does it make me nobody? Sometimes I think yes, but then I realize it doesn’t matter. I am now nourishing a child and making a home worth living for. working on my passion of capturing images and writing blog. I am many things, I am creating, caring and shaping life. These aspects make my identity.
Found and Lost:
When who you are and what you do mean the same leads to a crisis. The very first question that starts a conversation in today’s world is, what do you do? For the people who work it’s simple, for their job is their identity. What happens when they quit their job. I know many of my friends who left work for various reasons. For family, for kids, for health reasons and many to live a little stress free. On the other hand many started after a gap suffering from an identity crisis. According to these people (mostly women) they felt guilty of leaving the job. For many, it was the monotony of everyday household work. Some were scared that they will regret and fail to return. The struggle of having limited freedom in terms of money was another concern. Last but not the least, surrendering to societal taunts and humor of being an unemployed (regardless of reasons), leads to nowhere. Seems like once found is being lost once they quit their job
Finding yourself:
Who am I?
I my not be a scholar of highest level by profession but I love writing and creating. I enjoy weaving words and capturing moments. This whole journey of self love and acceptance is full of ups and downs. It is exciting for me to establish myself as someone worthy through this article or the countless hours that I spend at home looking after my kids and making a home. I am not defined by any profession and my identity is not what I do but who I am.
You don’t have to lose yourself to find love. To make things work just look inside your space. Do things purposefully and take your time. Identity is not shaped by what you do, in fact I refuse to give up on my qualities that makes me shine and consider myself as a resource. I can do almost everything given time and opportunity. Might also be doing for so long if analyzed correctly. Although, this was not so clear always, I had the same thoughts as every other person like me. Mixing up who I am with what I do. Since I was not doing anything as certified or paying me, I felt like nobody, looking at others who did. There is no way out of it, it’s a phase that has highs and lows and a lot of change. But focusing on oneself and working on the things you love the most makes things easier to just break the definition of who you are. You are an individual with many roles helping in smooth functioning of the family and society at large. This is far beyond the identity that is associated with a job or any other tag.
JintyR.
