The Defininition of Domestication

Yeah.  What the heck IS the definition of domestication?

Webster's Dictionary defines domestication this way:  well, it doesn't actually have a definition for "domestication" (have I created a new word?  That's gotta be worth some money!!!) but here's the definition for the word domesticate:  to bring into domestic use, to adapt to life in intimate association with and to the advantage of humans, to make domestic, fit for domestic life, to bring to the level of ordinary people.

When you think about it, I guess each of us has a different interpretation of domestication.  I'll be honest, when I was originally thinking about it, I was trying to figure out how I could somehow morph over from a very education-turned-career-oriented headstrong single woman to the wife who still worked to support her family, yet was not a workaholic, was always home on time and always greeted her husband at the door with a smiling face and a fully-prepared 5-course meal waiting on the table, and still had plenty of energy left over to leave a spotless kitchen in her wake and make sure her husband's additional, ahem, needs, were properly satisfied, as well.

Yeah.

Did I mention that was my definition when I was newly-engaged?

My husband and I just recently celebrated our one-month anniversary.  (Yes, we are the couple who celebrates those things.  Dadgum it, we made it a whole month, let's celebrate!!!)  We're also the couple who celebrated our dating anniversaries and our engagement anniversaries...it's the little stuff for us.  In fact, I believe that we all should be paying attention to more of the little things...but that's another post.

The point is, after only one month, my definition of domestication has been altered...quite a bit, actually.  At this point, I'm closer to the "to adapt to life in intimate association with and to the advantage of humans," and "to bring to the level of ordinary people" definitions.  Basically, I'm trying my best to leave a clean house when I head out for work in the morning, cook some kind of a wholesome meal at least several times each week, make sure there's a bit of food in the fridge and pantry for my husband to snack on, keep the house relatively organized...oh, and throw some laundry in from time to time.

Did I mention how incredibly blessed I am to be married to a man who actually enjoys leftovers, who rinses his dishes and loads them into the dishwasher himself, who is perfectly capable of doing his own laundry, and who makes the bed every single morning?  This should be easy, right?

We'll find out, won't we?

Kristen Campbell is a freelance writer, photographer, and a full-time office administrator. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, organizing and spending as much time as possible with her new husband!