I Get It From My Mother

My mom taught us to be self reliant. She taught us to bounce back. When something bad happens you take a day or two to wallow in it then you get up and do something about or move on. Once again I am doing that. I quit my job yesterday. I didn't want to but it was for the best. I laid around all day and I even forgot a doctor's appointment. (hope I can fix that tomorrow. we'll see)

My mom taught us to everything around the house. All of us, including my brother, could clean anything in the house to perfection while we were still in grade school. She got us up every morning for school with the Mrs. Morningbird song and fixed us breakfast but we got ourselves dressed. When I went into the 7th. grade she handed me an alarm clock and told me to get up and catch the bus or find a way to school. And she meant it. The bus for junior high was an hour earlier than the bus for grade school.


We didn't miss too many buses. It was highly embarrassing to go to the neighbors to catch a ride to school when your mom was home and just plain old refused to do it on principle. She said they were going to work anyway, so.... But Rhonda and I were lucky. She made my brother hitchhike when he missed the bus. (this was back in the 70's when hitchhiking was still a common practice)

I started doing dishes when I was in the second grade. I would wash and my sister would rinse. We would turn a 3 minute hour glass over and try to get them done before it was finished. Then I would wipe down all the surfaces in the kitchen. Then it turned into my sister was allowed to let the dishes air dry and put them up later. My mom still complains that my sister can't clean the kitchen right. I told her it was because she never had to do it when I was home. She started when I left for college.

I remember the first time I asked to stay home by myself. I was in the third grade. My mom was hesitant but she allowed it. I remember bawling like a baby when she first pulled out of the driveway. That lasted all of about 3 minutes and then I had a blast. It wasn't long before she was leaving all three of us. We would fight and argue and tear the house all to hell while she was gone and then go into a cleaning frenzy to clean the mess before she got home and found it. We also always managed to end our torture sessions and forgive and forget before she got back home as well.

We were little hellions!

Anyway, I get my resilience from my mother. That's a good thing.