When I got married,
I thought I’d have to stay at home.
I got a job right after I graduated.
I thought being a working wife would take up all my time.
I didn’t want my daughter to come home and not find me there.
I wouldn’t be a good mother that way.
That’s what we all used to believe would happen.

I didn’t work for the first 6 or 7 years.
It made me feel like something was missing,
And that my husband saw me differently.
When I’d look in the mirror,
I’d see a different person.
I’ve always been an active person,
And I liked going out.
But then I started staying at home all the time.
Even going to the supermarket was a struggle for me.
This made me believe that he and my daughter saw me differently,
Until I decided to get a job.

At first, I worked part-time.
My daughter would make me feel proud,
When she’d express her happiness that I started going out more.
“Good job, mommy!”

My husband and I started communicating more.
I used to feel that he didn’t trust my opinions,
But now that I work,
He shares his thoughts with me,
And we talk about the state of the country,
As if I’m equal to him.

This really made a huge difference to me.
It made a huge difference at home.
He’s more cooperative now.
He can see that I’m happy.
I know that not all men think the same way,
But it’s made me more self-confident.
It has made me want to depend on myself.