Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The Work!

Nobody knows of the work it makes
To keep the home together.
Nobody knows of the steps it takes,
Nobody knows but Mother.
~ anonymous

This little rhyme has been flowing through my head this evening as I have struggled to stretch my minutes as I try to accomplish way more than is humanly possible. There is always something to do! So many "somethings," in fact! As I remembered this rhyme, I realized that there are many other mothers out there who know exactly how I feel. I'm not alone in this.

However, one thing is certain: little boys do NOT know how much work it is to keep a home together. Neither do they know how disheartening it is when their carelessness makes a mother feel like all her careful work has disappeared in quicksand. Neither do they know how much a mother's heart is gladdened by a simple, sincere "thank you."

They don't know...but maybe someday, they will. And in the meantime, I'll keep eating my manna and drinking my spiritual water and filling myself up so I can serve them with cheerfulness and humility.


Some days, it's easier than others!

7 comments:

Melina said...

Dear Davene;
It's been so long we haven't talk , but I been reeading your blogs almost everyday day and let me tell you , you inspire me so much!!
And I feel so similar in my everyday life, well not all the time but I feel that the work we do as mothers, only another mom can understand, and now with a teenager , a preteen and a toddler my house goes chaos!!from the day I wake up till I go to bed, and there's times that I go nuts!
But like you said I have to feed my spirit in order to properly work and give to my children...awww little boys, big boys still the same..hey eve little girls, mine is a very unique one:)

Sally said...

That rhyme is so true! This is the first time I've seen it. I hope you can have a slower day soon!

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of a wall plaque I saw that reads:

"Mothers of little boys work from Son up to Son down!"

I can relate and I just have ONE boy!

I'm pretty sure that daughters are not appreciative of all their mothers do, either. At least, I remember that I wasn't appreciative of my mom!

Elizabeth said...

Davene - so true, so true! Some days I just look around and shake my head at the constant crumbs on my rugs, the fingerprints on my windows, the toys hiding here and there...and I just don't have the energy to pick up one more thing!

But then I think back to my spotless (well...at least more spotless!) home before kids...and I would never change the way it looks now!

It will be nice when they are old enough to help with some chores though! :)

Unknown said...

There's nothing like getting a nice "thank you" -- it's funny but it seems to make all that hard work worthwhile. Boo's very good with remembering his manners and it makes all the difference to my day. I also often tell him that mothers are happy to be "helpers" but they're not slaves, and make him take his plates to the table and make his bed etc. That said, even one small boy makes a lot of mess -- I can't imagine picking up after four of them!

Polly said...

ah, this is SO true, and I've only got ONE right now! boys, boys....

I love your hair!

Margie said...

I think I'm going to write this little ditty down. Little girls don't know, either, but I was heartened yesterday when, after a particularly difficult vacuuming job in the living room (let's just say I waited a bit too long between vacuums), Elizabeth said, "Mommy, you're really working hard and doing a good job!" It made my entire day better.