It’s Mother’s Day! And a day of remembrance. My mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother are long gone, but not forgotten. I’ve been thinking of them this week probably because of the upcoming holiday. I went to see a woman who was like a second mother to me yesterday. She is bedridden these days and her children take turns taking care of her not wanting to put her in a nursing home. That is love—to spend your days looking after the woman who looked after you. And it is as it should be.
My grandmother raised eight children during the depression on a cotton farm in northeast Arkansas. She had little education, but the woman grew a garden that fed the county and cooked the most wonderful meals. I remember her wringer washing machine on the back porch and having to use the outdoor toilet (which I hated and feared!). She was a wonderful woman, kind but strict, and if you worked and did what you were told, you’d get along fine. Oh, and attend church on Sunday with her.
My mother raised three kids in the city and was hardworking as well. She cooked, cleaned, sewed our dresses, and taught me the love of books. She read when the day was done and she liked nothing better than to send her girls to the library during the summer when school was out. It probably gave her a break from all the noise and was a short walk for us.
Today’s mothers live a different life. Most work outside the home as well as keeping house and raising kids. She might come in the door with a pizza she picked up on the way home from work, but she still takes care of her family. But the love is still there and so is the work.
Hats off to all the mothers who toil from daylight until dark for those they love. Happy Mother’s Day!
What are you reading, writing, supporting, or creating this week?
Peggy Chambers "Views from the Hammock" site 