a woman at the ironing board, iron in hand, hair all mussed from sleep, in an old housecoat and crying. Why would this woman be crying you ask. Well, it is not from the mountain of clothes she is about to press - I can tell you that. No, she just realized that she will no longer be doing her oldest boy's clothes. Now, this is the enigma, don't you think she would be happy that her work load has lessened by 20%. What is it with women and their emotions.
I'm sure you have figured out this woman is me. I have to first confess that I hate to iron. That being said, you have probably already determined that I put this chore off until we are out of clothes to wear. So, who has time to iron, say, 84 pieces of clothes. (I don't use question marks on rhetoric either.) Well I don't have the time nor the inclination for this job, so I try to break it down into smaller jobs, maybe like 10 items a day. Then I figure that will only keep my head above water. So today I set out to iron everything. Then, I have to encourage myself, I don't expect my 13 year old to. I say to myself that all this ironing is a way to love your family. Then I remember that my oldest has just moved out and I will no longer get to love him this way. Then the tears spill. There is no crying, just tears. Hot burning tears that will not stop. What is it with me anyway.
You see, I told him when he came home from college that he needed to continue doing his own laundry. This would be beneficial to both of us in that I would have less to do and he could remain independent-sounds all good doesn't it. Well about a month ago I decided to love my oldest son by doing his laundry as well as iron a lot of his clothes. When he saw what I had done he just hugged my neck and said "Thank you momma". I didn't realize at the time that would be the last of that! And I'm so glad that we taught him to be polite. It was so sweet to hear his man voice say thank you momma.
have you been in my closet to see the piles of laundry that need ironing? it really would make you feel great about the amount you have to do...i promise. i know you're sad about your oldest, but at least he won't be far away. and now his wife will get to "love him" in that way. although, i doubt she'll call it love. i sure don't!!!
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