Mother's Day Musings

When I was growing up and we would ask my mom what she wanted for Mother's Day, or her birthday, or Christmas, her answer was always the same "A clean house". As a child I never could understand why she would keep asking for that, I mean, it felt like we cleaned the house all the time, why wouldn't she ask for something else, like a necklace or a book, or something. Then, I had children, and now I know.

My mom also worked outside the home along with raising her 6 children. So, she would go to work, come home, cook, clean, and help us with homework, and all of that stuff. As we got older we helped, but sometimes we were just around long enough to leave a mess, like when we would come home, grab a bite, leave the dishes in the sink, and then head back off to basketball practice or play practice or sometimes work ourselves. She often had to clean up those dishes.

My kids are still fairly young, my oldest is 7. They are old enough to learn to help out around the house. It feels like it takes twice as long when they are cleaning with me, but I know that if I take the time now, soon they can do it on their own. I'm realizing how easy it is to feel like a martyr when it comes to keeping my house clean. To feel like I'm doing so much for them and they just aren't appreciating me. Instead, I should be looking for the blessings of having a home and a family to take care of. To view cleaning dishes and washing clothes and acts of love for my family. Aren't the most fun acts of love those that the person receiving never really know about? Yes, my kids will need to know how to use the washer and dryer. Yes, they will learn to wash dishes as they rinse and scrub alongside me, but if they don't realize all that mom does, can't I view that as me being a "secret helper"? It's all in the way you look at things.