Womanhood and Motherhood, Not A Career?

As I grew up, I dreamed of having a husband and a family of my own, of being dedicated to caring for a partner that provided for us, and raising children to be the best they can be.  I wanted to experience as many 'firsts' as I could with my children, creating lifelong memories and focusing on my family as my career.  I feel that has been my calling for this season of my life.  However society has had some other ideas.

Many times I have been told that I am wasting my intellectual potential.  Because I was a very high achieving student at high school, my career counsellor was horrified to learn that I intended to leave school and get a steady paying job to provide for myself until I met the man of my dreams ~ then I wanted to throw myself full-force into family life and motherhood.  Many teachers tried to convince me I needed a to have a 'real career', and that with my acedemic abilities, I could become qualified to be a doctor, a lawyer or anything else I set my mind to.

I have also come across some very indignant feminists that were also very disgusted with my choosing to dedicate my life to my family.  As far as they were concerned, they fought so hard to get women equal rights in every aspect of life, and by my actually CHOOSING to make my home and family my career, I was setting back every accomplishment they struggled to achieve.  These women couldn't understand why I would want the 'lowly' occupation of caring for my partner and giving all of myself to him and my children.  Although that relationship ended up being very abusive and has since ended, my children are still my focus as far as what I am called to do in this season of my life.

Why is it so offensive for me (or any other woman) to dedicate myself to what I feel is a noble calling of womanhood, to not just say I would die for my children ~ but to go as far as to live for them?  To set aside these years as they grow to be a constant in their life, to be their soft place to fall, their confidant, their organiser and their comforter?  To learn as much as I can about womanhood, motherhood, and childhood... and apply all that experience to the raising, edification and education of my children on a 'full-time basis'.

There is nothing wrong with being a working mother at all.  There may be financial, mental, emotional, physical or spiritual reasons that a woman may have, to continue in the workforce as well as balance motherhood.  My gripe is that I thought our fore 'mothers' fought for equality and the right to choose to have a career, not to force us out of our homes and into our pant suit's and stiletto's as a higher calling belonging to everyone that calls themself a woman.  Some may be Corporate Exectutives - I am a Domestic Executive.  Some may perform Customer Service - I perfom many services to my children.  Some women may strive for customer satisfaction - I strive for familial satisfation.  I believe I have followed the highest calling I have as a woman, a major purpose in life ~ so stop telling women everywhere to leave home and get a real career - we already have one.