The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Moms The Word

by Dessa Rodeffer
Quill Editor and Publisher

This Sunday, May 13th is Mother's Day, the day that touches the hearts of all of us who have special mothers.

My mother will be 87 in June, and she is at the point where the simplest of things make her happy.

Oh, I remember the times it wasn't always that way.

For instance, when I was young, Saturday was "our" day to clean the house.

Mom insisted we did a thorough job. We didn't have air conditioning, but it didn't matter to her. The work of dusting, sweeping, shaking rugs, polishing the furniture and woodwork must be done.

And then it was the fun job of washing all of the 36 windows in her house, inside and out, plus the storm windows.

That was a challenging job and she had her own way it must be done.

The weekend work included mowing the yard, some baking and anything else that might so move her.

I wonder where she got all of this ambition and pickiness.

When I look back, I remember my grandmother (my mother's "Mom") and her home which was also "neat as a pin".

I remember how busy Grandmother always was sewing, cooking, washing, hanging clothes on the line.

She also canned and took care of a large garden, made her own butter, raised her on chickens, beef and pork and I remember there wasn't a bit of idleness in her until the work was done.

In her 80s and 90s she was always offering her help just like my mother does today.

Where did they learn this? I believe they learned at a small age at their mother's knee to work and take care of themselves, their families, and the needs of friends and neighbors.

Mom is the word. It is she who passes on the caretaking tasks my family has learned and the foundation we needed for living productive lives.

Once she had passed on that tradition to her children, her main job was finished.

Now it is her time to rest in the simple things of life. By the time our mothers have moved into the golden years, all the little things become more important to them. The torch of hard work and discipline has been handed down to the next generation.

Now they can kick up their heels and dance....... read, go to Arizona or Florida, go on a cruise if their health allows. If it doesn't, they will be content to read, visit with family and friends, watch nature, eat a delicious meal, watch a movie or enjoy a sing-a-long or musical.

Our world constantly revolves the same and so does the traditions we pass from parent to child.

We can't expect everything to stay the same. We can only keep readjusting our goals to fit our circumstances.

When I think about who always seems to make the most out of a situation, the answer is always the same. Mom's the word.