When I need to be entertained, I jump in the car and run to Target - just to look around. I don't have to need anything, I just want to entertain myself. If I want to contact someone, I use either my cell phone, the hubby's cell, or the home phone. If I need to email someone, I have four devices for that including those where I don't even need WI-FI - it comes magically comes from the sky. If I need to find out the staff of UCLA Medical Center, I look it up on Internet. If I need a recipe for gazpacho, I just google it. I have TVs with hundreds of stations, and music from every genre using free apps. There is just no end to entertainment these days without leaving the house.
Then I remember mom. How did she do it? She had her first child at 30, me, and her last at age 38, with 3 others in between those two - not exactly young. Dad took our only car to work so we were left at home without one. For the first 14 years, we didn't have a phone. No Internet, of course, but we didn't even have a car at home! No phone! Five kids under age 8! What did she do for entertainment? Was she bored?
Did she even have time to be bored? Did she spend her days changing wet diapers? Did she spend time washing them out - remember they were cloth in the day? Did she hang clothes on the line? Did she iron? Did she referee fights between us kids? Did she make a garden? Did she pick green beans? Did she can them? Did she have supper on the table for daddy? Did she do all the dishes herself until we got old enough to help? Did she worry about us kids when we were sick.......and she had no phone to call the doctor.......and the car was with daddy........and the nearest neighbor was at least 1/4 mile away.........and her sister was a mile away? I can tell you the answer to all of these questions. YES, but the answer to the first question is NO; Mom didn't have one moment to be bored. And even if she had the car at home, she certainly didn't have time to run to Target just to look around!
Next time you feel the urge to go to Target........just to look around........remember Mom.
True story: We had an old-timey washing machine on the back porch. Mom heated water for it in a huge galvanized tub which took up all four burners. As she was taking this tub of hot water to the back porch, one of the kids darted in front of her right at the screen door. She knew that she was going to spill this water and rather than pour it her child, she poured on herself. Fortunately, it was a day when we had the car. Mom gathered all us up and headed to Aunt Azalee's, about a mile away. I remember mom driving with her dress up over her legs. She must have been in horrible pain. Aunt Azalee was home (remember no phone at our house) so she was able to drive Mom to the hospital where she stayed for a few days. I distinctly remember them dropping us off at Grandma Dawkins' and watching them drive off and wondering if she was going to be alright. When I think of how great a mom's love is, I think of that moment.
I love you.
Then I remember mom. How did she do it? She had her first child at 30, me, and her last at age 38, with 3 others in between those two - not exactly young. Dad took our only car to work so we were left at home without one. For the first 14 years, we didn't have a phone. No Internet, of course, but we didn't even have a car at home! No phone! Five kids under age 8! What did she do for entertainment? Was she bored?
Did she even have time to be bored? Did she spend her days changing wet diapers? Did she spend time washing them out - remember they were cloth in the day? Did she hang clothes on the line? Did she iron? Did she referee fights between us kids? Did she make a garden? Did she pick green beans? Did she can them? Did she have supper on the table for daddy? Did she do all the dishes herself until we got old enough to help? Did she worry about us kids when we were sick.......and she had no phone to call the doctor.......and the car was with daddy........and the nearest neighbor was at least 1/4 mile away.........and her sister was a mile away? I can tell you the answer to all of these questions. YES, but the answer to the first question is NO; Mom didn't have one moment to be bored. And even if she had the car at home, she certainly didn't have time to run to Target just to look around!
Next time you feel the urge to go to Target........just to look around........remember Mom.
True story: We had an old-timey washing machine on the back porch. Mom heated water for it in a huge galvanized tub which took up all four burners. As she was taking this tub of hot water to the back porch, one of the kids darted in front of her right at the screen door. She knew that she was going to spill this water and rather than pour it her child, she poured on herself. Fortunately, it was a day when we had the car. Mom gathered all us up and headed to Aunt Azalee's, about a mile away. I remember mom driving with her dress up over her legs. She must have been in horrible pain. Aunt Azalee was home (remember no phone at our house) so she was able to drive Mom to the hospital where she stayed for a few days. I distinctly remember them dropping us off at Grandma Dawkins' and watching them drive off and wondering if she was going to be alright. When I think of how great a mom's love is, I think of that moment.
I love you.
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