Enjoying Meagan helped to make up for the big changes that came into my life by finally becoming a full career woman as part of Jones Mortgage. I had loved being a stay at home Mom. I had thoroughly enjoyed working with the ladies in my many church callings. I had not wanted that to change. I did not know if I would like learning the loan business and becoming licensed but I fully immersed myself in my new life.
Richard could see all these talents I had that would help in the business. He needed me to step up and support him with all that I could do. Now, with a office just down the hill from our house was the time. And this would prove to be the biggest change I had ever made in my life.
The Real Estate Licensing I had avoided for so long was finally completed.
One challenge I completed before going to work full time with Richard was the degree of Bachelors-Masters of Professional Homemaking. There was a long list of things we needed to accomplish before earning this award. It was challenging but I did get it done.
One of the reasons I fell in love with Richard was because of his "take charge attitude". I loved having Richard take care of me. That all changed when he had his first heart attack. I promised the Lord then if He would let Richard live I would became better prepared to be alone but I was not prepared at that time. This big change to officially learn the loan business was part of that preparation to be alone but I did not know that at this time.It was interesting to learn that all those years of working in the church as a leader, organizer, speaker, teacher had me well-prepared for all the opportunities that would now be part of my life. As good as a college education, it was an education in itself.
Richard was happy, he always liked to have me work side by side or be there, no matter what he was doing. Now even though he was still in the La Mesa office, I would fully be part of and a partner in his chosen business. But that is a story for another day--the years from 1981 to 1999.
A part of a letter I received from a mother of one of John friends at Christmas time in 1980 sort of sums up the kind of home we had for our children all these years, she wrote:
Dear Janet, Richard, and family,
A note to express our love and appreciation to all of you for the always "Open Door" to your home through the years of friendship between Rick and John. Rick, like so many others, has always enjoyed your home rather it was for a visit, food, sleeping...whatever, it was always a comfortable place to be...
I must note I once wondered if it wasn't just a little "too comfortable" as I watched one of the teenagers reach into our stash of "Tiger bars" (nutritional sweet) that we kept in the front closet and grab one just before he started for his trek home.
Whatever, raising our children has been a great joy, challenge, and wonder to Richard and I through the years, I can only pray we will always find joy and wonder in sharing their life upon this earth. It has been an amazing 20 years of being a "stay at home" Mom.
