On what Sunday means to a woman

I woke up in a hurry. It's Sunday and I was already going to be late for church and Sunday School. I was feeling sluggish, an extra hour in bed was so inviting. I walked out of the bedroom and into the living room and slumped on the couch to get myself out of sleep.

My 6-year-old daughter woke up 10 minutes later, and plonked herself on the living room couch. "Shall we cancel church going today?" I asked my daughter casually and sleepily. I was met with an angry, piercing stare, a downturn mouth and a body language that suggested mutiny.

"Okay, okay, we go, we go" I said and got up really quickly. Went to the kitchen, put the kettle on, made two "bulls eye" eggs and toast for the husband, toasts for the children. Then it was threatening my daughter to "quickly go and shower or else we don't go to church". I got dressed, she got dressed and out the door we went.

Church service is 9am, the second service. We arrived 9:20am. "Not bad", I thought. By the time I had ensured that daughter was safe in Sunday School, I finally made it to the second last pew of the church from the back door.

It was the preaching session and today's topic was appropriately, "What does Sunday mean to you as a Christian?" I grimaced in my seat when the lady preacher talked about how we treat Sunday - we don't rush as much as when we go to work. "Coming to church late also never mind, as long as I am in church and receive the Holy Communion. That's our attitude. We don't give God the same priority as we give to our work." If there was a tribunal going on this morning, I would have been pronounced "Guilty" for that attitude.

I protested internally though after hearing the preacher.

Don't they know that a mother and wife or a woman does need her "downtime" too? Why can't she have the liberty to relax a little in her priority on Sunday? Isn't that day designated a "Rest" day? I know we know it to mean that this day is dedicated to God - going to church for fellowship and holy communion and corporate worship.

But surely a woman is entitled to relax, too, and just be a woman. Oh well, only another woman, mother and wife would understand me.

What do you Dayak mothers, wives and women say about this - on being a Dayak woman in this century?