Shoveling snow in a snowstorm is a wry term I use for what it is like to be a wife and mom, washing endless dishes that will just get dirty again, moving toys from one side of the room to another, washing laundry you just washed, mopping floors only to have dogs and kids run across them with muddy feet. To shovel snow in a snow storm is to never really see the fruits of your labors, to never fully complete a task, able to sit back and survey your accomplishment. You shovel as fast as you can but the snow just keeps falling.

This is the kind of work that can cause a young and naive husband to come home, look about at all the destruction and innocently declare, “Did you actually do anything today?” I suppose it is not necessary to mention that my eyes turn green when…