Recently I went to the store to pick up some things we needed. You know, the usual…toilet paper, paper towels, shaving cream, shampoo, etc. I got my items and checked out. When I got home, I was putting things away and realized I forgot the toothpaste! UGH! It made me realize that sometimes you just have to stop and say “Thanks, Mom, for the toothpaste”.
I never thought much about it as a kid – how all that stuff just conveniently showed up in our bathroom drawers and cabinets. We ran out of stuff and it magically reappeared! Kleenex, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste; the list could go on and on. Now that I’m grown with a home of my own and kids of my own, I see just how much STUFF has to be kept track of and bought in order to keep the place going!!
Every time I turn around there’s something we’re out of…I mean, when you were a kid, did you stop to think about whether there was laundry detergent and softener in the house so you could have clean clothes?? Not me! I just always had clean clothes to wear…and they were ironed. Now I will give my dad some credit here because he did laundry and ironed too. But I’ll bet it was my mom who added “laundry detergent” to the shopping list when we were out.
As I got older, there were more and more things added to the list of stuff I “had” to have. Hairspray, 15 different lip glosses (and yes, that’s STILL how I roll), hot rollers, special items to take care of a mouth full of braces, 100 different colored pairs of shoes, purses, and everything else a girl thinks she needs. Somehow, I always had everything I needed and then some.
My mom and I on my wedding day
Let me tell you, I now know how much a mom takes care of. Grocery shopping is the most boring, awful-but-necessary chore!! But we always had a house full of kitchen staples and good food to eat. I’ll add here too that my dad did some cooking, but I’ll bet my mom made that list before we went to that dreaded place where we went down EVERY.SINGLE.AISLE to get the supplies for our meals. And I’ve got one question: Who hates the frozen foods section?? It’s freezing (duh) and I get shocked EVERY time I touch a door to open it. The grocery store is not my favorite…ha!
Me and my babies
I had to make another trip that day back to the store to pick up some toothpaste so everyone in the house wouldn’t have rotten breath, and it just made me think about everything I do as a mom to keep up with the necessities of day-to-day life. No, I’m not complaining at all…I love getting to take care of this little family God has blessed me with. But it made me stop and think about all MY mom did for our family when I was growing up.
A Mother’s job is never complete. The days go by with many lists to make, many necessities to buy, meals to serve, lessons to teach (and learn), and lots of laughter (along with some tears too). But it is by far the most rewarding job I’ve ever done. I mean, look at those sweet kids in that picture up there! 🙂 They’re truly miracles and I never want to forget it. They shouldn’t be here, but they are.
So to all of the mother’s out there with busy lives and long lists to make and multiple trips to the stores to make; and to MY mom too, I’ll say “Thanks, Mom, for the toothpaste…..and everything else, too”.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Till the next time,
Kassie
SaveSave
Leave a Reply