MY MUSE.
66KEEPING OUR VACATION VILLA CLEAN.
WHY MY MOTHER IS MY MUSE.
The reason why I love telling stories is because of my mother. I grew up in the '60s and the '70s. My mother helped my siblings and me through a lot of life troubles while growing up in Queens, NY. My mother would tell us stories about what she and others around her went through, it usually helped us not go through the same problems.
The following story is not about her many stories that helped one or all of us out from different times in our life, this is a little memory about cleaning -- believe it or not -- I keep thinking about now that I have a young child.
When my siblings and I were children my mother really did everything for us. There were four of us in total. Two boys and two girls. I am the oldest. Girl, boy, girl, boy.
Both my parents worked outside the home, but it was my mother who made our apartment a home. To make her daily task for us easier she would do most things for us each evening.
Every night, for school the next day, my mother laid out our clothes, did my sister and my hair, -- Yikes! She could not braid hair!!! -- she swept through the whole apartment, and then placed our cereal bowls turned down for us on our kitchen table for each of us so we could fix our cereal ourselves while she showered for work. This made each morning -- as we prepared for school -- a lot easier for her, because the only thing she would have to do before showering is make up all five beds within our home.
Usually, our whole apartment would be cleaned before we left out each day. Once in a while my mother did not have enough time to make our beds, because she had to leave out when we did -- 7:15 AM -- to get to work each morning on time.
Every afternoon, about forty minutes after my siblings and I returned home from school my mother would arrive home from work. If the beds were unmade then she would make them up and then prepare our dinner before my father arrived home from work.
One chilly afternoon, my younger sister's and baby brother's young friends -- who happened to be brother and sister themselves -- came to our apartment to visit them.
What was cooking I do not remember. I only remember that my mother's food always smelled great and tasted better.
While dinner was cooking my two younger siblings were playing in our bed room while my -- one year -- younger brother and I did our homework. I had just walked into our room and saw my mother placing our clean clothes from the laundry basket into our dresser draws. Suddenly my sister's young friend said, "Oo, your food smells good."
Not looking the little girl's way, but with a polite smile on her face while placing our clothes in each of our drawers my mother replied, "Thank you."
The kid seemed very interested in what my mother was doing, while my younger siblings and her little brother continued to play with each other, and she said, "Wow, you do a lot of cleaning, but they keep their beds messy. We don't mess up the beds when my mother make it up for us."
"And you should not. It's a lot of work we do."
"Yeah, We keep our room clean."
My mother laughed and said, "You should show them that."
I refused to look at my mother, as she walked past me, because I had a feeling she was annoyed with us, but she never said a word.
The next morning my mother woke my siblings and me up around 5:00 AM. That was forty-five minutes before she usually woke us up. She pulled the beds out from the walls and said,
"You and your brother will be making these beds from now on."
"Okay." We said in sleepy unison.
"I will get you two up each day until you learn how to do it correctly."
"Okay mommy." We replied again in unison.
It took us four days to get it correct. Why four? Well, it took us three days to realize we should be practicing how to make our beds in the afternoon before we went out to play. Oh, and it was my mother's suggestion. Yeah, we were slow.
My story ideas are usually dealing with young woman raising children. The children are not always their own. Most of my stories come from cleaning. My mother taught us how to clean, and how to appreciate others who cleaned. Which means do not mess up without fixing it back up. You never know who may drop by.
When my sister and I vacationed with our children, this and last year, we kept our Villa cleaned. I, of course, enlisted the help of my son, and my young nieces and nephew to do helpful minor things.
This was great because there was always someone dropping by ....
Please scroll down and leave a comment.
Thank you.
CHILDREN'S BEDDING ON SALE:
 | Amazon Price: $28.00 List Price: $31.94 |
KITCHEN ITEMS ON SALE:
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Awesome article!
Even if we don't want to admit it,it's obvious we automatically get things from Mom.
My mom has a african,west indies,carribbean thing going on in her home and has for years. I said once I get out on my own I wouldn't have all that african,west indies thing going on in my home.My home may be alittle more contempary than my mom's but I have hints of african,west indies,carribbean splattered all through my home.
My mother made sure we had a family vacation every summer,sometimes holiday trips also to cool places. I do that also with my son.
Guess,I get it from my Momma! ; )
Respect
Hi Fayx24,
I know what you mean about things rubbing off from our Moms. LOL.
I truly appreciate your kind words.
Take Care,
N.E.
I think quite a few things 'rubbed off' on me from my mother, one of them was cleanliness. Thanks for sharing this story about your mother and how she's your muse.
Hello MSantana,
I am happy to follow you.
It sounds like you had a great childhood.
I am smiling as I write this response, because it sounds like you and your siblings were so lucky.
I thank you so much for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
Thank you very much for following my hub--and an even more immense gratitude for bringing my wonderful mother to my mind. My sisters and I always say how wonderful it was to have grown up in a family that supported us and gave us independence and tons of love! Thanks
Hello Sonia05,
Thank you so much for your lovely praise.
You are correct. Moms are so great!
My Mother would prepare so much at night, because it was too much to do in the morning with four young children.
My father would be gone about an hour before we even woke up in the morning. He took the bus to work every morning. I think my Father woke my Mother up before he went left for work ....
I thank you so much for briefly sharing your family story. It was nice.
Take Care,
N.E.
Great hub! It reminds me of how my mother who is a working mom,taught us(my two siblings and me) to get ready for school,clean our room,wash our uniforms in the washing machine,polish our shoes etc. We became quite independent at an early age,thanks to our mom. I also remember that before our parents woke us up in the morning for school,both of them use to have their tea and spend quality time together.After waking us up,mom use to get busy in cooking our breakfast and prepare our lunch boxes and then get ready for work.Managing and making three children learn how to get ready for school was a big task! Mothers are simply great!
Hi SeanOrJohn,
I love your account about how you and your siblings adapted to your broken dishwasher.
I wish we had a dish washer. LOL. I was the washer, drier, and put awayer. LOL. Until I complained of course. LOL.
Thank you so much for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
Our dishwasher broke down recently and it reminded me of my childhood experiences. I was one of eight children and every night 3 or 4 of us would be washer up , drier and put awayer. Much faster than a machine.We treated it like an olympic sport.
Love your reminiscing. Voted up.
Hello Loveofnight,
I actually wanted to learn how to clean really early in life, because I just wanted to be like my mother. She was great about holding me off.
I was lucky she showed us what she did when we were as young as we were.
See, my Mother was the oldest of 11 children, and she just wanted us to stay younger a little longer than she had too.
Thank you for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
Being the eldest of 10 my mum taught me early about the need to maintain cleanliness and order, this hub was like taking a walk in the past....thx 4 share.
LOL, where did they get those sayings? LOL.
I am actually saying all of those sayings to my son, and nieces and nephews now myself. LOL.
So, I guess our parents got it from their parents. Or than again, maybe they did go to the same school of cleaning. LOL.
Take Care,
N.E.
Hi N. E. Wright...Yep, that was another one of her sayings and it is true. You never know when someone will drop by and catch you with a messy house. Another one of her sayings was, "Clean as you go." She also used to tell us kids, "If you don't make a mess, there won't be a mess to clean up." Maybe one day I'll break down and write the, 'Rules of mom.' Then again, maybe you should...sounds like our moms went to the same school of cleaning LOL
Hi Becky,
My childhood was cool. Not perfect, but I really would not trade it no matter what.
My mother thought of us first. That lets you know you have to do the same for your children. We all make sure our children have before we do.
I truly appreciate your kind words.
Take Care,
N.E.
It sounds like you had a wonderful childhood. Your mother sounds like she was a good, caring mom that instilled strong values and good qualities in you and your siblings. Now you carry the torch and pass these good habits on to your children. The cycle is being repeated. What a warm, wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.
Hello ChilliWilly,
I like that name. LOL.
I appreciate your kind comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
What a sweet hub, thanks for sharing! :)
Hi Aslanlight,
Thank you for your praise.
Take Care,
N.E.
A charming hub!
Hello Kosmo,
Sorry to hear about your Mother.
You are right, though, about memories. I am starting to write them now, because I also want them know.
Take Care,
N.E.
Fortunately my mother never forced me to make up my bed, unless company was coming, ya know? Anyway, I have many fond memories of my mother, particularly now that she's suffering from dementia. Keep those memories forever. Later!
Hey Danielle,
Thanks. LOL.
Well, I know all about that 'ordered chaos', because I lived it for a while when I first moved on my own. It was fun. No one to answer to. Clean when you want. I loved it. LOL.
Then one day I was looking for a disk with one of my short stories on it, and I could not find it until I cleaned up my office area. LOL.
After that I went back to my roots. It was fun while it lasted though. LOL.
Thanks again for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
Entertaining response! :D
Actually, I'm the thorough one when it comes to the kitchen - it's my personal spaces I'm terrible in. But it is that famous 'ordered chaos' where I can find things (even if no-one else possibly could)!
Thanks again - all the best!
Hi Danielle,
You know though my father did not teach how to clean at all, he loved how he could get us to clean up his messes before my mother returned home from work. LOL.
He would make us some great meals so we never realized what he was up to.
My favorites were homemade soup, hot coco, grilled cheese sandwiches, the best chili, or his style of Chinese Food.
So, after eating our meals, when he would say, "okay, clean up ...." -- after those great meals. LOL. -- we did it without thought.
My father was messy. LOL. He was a spoiled only child in his home growing up. LOL. He never learned how to clean as he cooked. We learned that from my mother. After you use one pot wash it.
Hoarding still scares me. LOL.
Oh, toothpaste caps, please. I do keep them on. Caps to ink pens also. LOL. I have it bad.
Thank you so much for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
My parents would love it if I were tidier, but it wasn't instilled when I was young - though a lot of other also important things were.
This is definite food for thought for me, and I enjoyed the telling of it too.
Thank you from a hoarder who would never pass that beauty pageant room test (though I am a stickler for taking care of toothpaste!).
Hi Robert,
Yeah, my younger sister and I always talk about how lucky we were with my mother raising us.
I am the oldest of four children. I have two brother and one sister.
My sister is actually the middle child. She was a pest. LOL. I adore her.
My sister and I travel together with our children all the time.
Now as a grandmother my mother just let our kids be.
The things she let them get away with make us all say, "Who are you?" LOL. "A grandma. They have fun and they go home. I raised my kids." LOL.
Thanks again for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
Your mom and mine seem to share to of the greatest qualities any parentb could hope to possess.
Love and humility, she definately loved you each by making sure you were fed and clothed as well as teaching you the importance of independence.
She was a very humble and graceful person by not voicing her complaints, but simply telling you what was right and then offering to help you achieve the goals she setfor you and your sibs.
I am also one of many, the middle child of three girls and a brother.
Bravo to your mom, for raising her children responsibly and kudos to you, for sharing such a wonderful memory.
Robert
Hello W. K.,
I love that story about your mom.
My mom use to say the same thing, "Put it back the way you got it ...." LOL. Now I say it to my son. LOL.
Did your mom use to say, "Keep the house clean, because someone may drop by without calling?" Mine did? LOL.
It use to get on my nerves until it happened one day and our house was a mess. LOL. I learned a lesson the hard and embarrassing way. LOL. I could not go out that weekend. Not cool. LOL.
I thank you so much for comments.
Take Care,
N.E.
Hi, I loved the story. My mom was a cleaning machine, herself. I miss her rules of keeping a clean house such as, "I you take something out put it right back where you got it". Much like her, I hate wasting time looking for something when I know right where I left it at. Even now, God rest her soul, whenever I'm cleaning house I hear all of her metaphors playing back in my head. Thanks you so much...now, I've got the urge to pick up lol.
Hi Erin,
Thank you so much for your praise.
I really do love writing about my childhood memories. It is not, because they were all great, because some were just scary.
Still, my memories are a reminder of some great experiences that shaped me ....
I do not know why kids hid things instead of putting them up? LOL. It is just silly, because our parents -- Mothers -- always find them and we get in trouble. LOL. A long time after we did it. LOL. So not worth it. LOL.
I like the story about your mother cleaning weekly. I have a friend who has been doing that in her home for about twenty years now. She was in the armed services. You have to see how she makes a bed. Perfect. It is just like how my mother made beds, and she learned from her mother ....
Honestly it sounds like your mother -- like the women mentioned -- was a busy woman trying to keep her home up the best she could. I love this stuff.
Again, I thank you for your comments.
Take Care, N.E.
N.E. Wright, what beautiful stories you remember! My mother always cleaned the entire house once a week. Scrubbing floors, dusting everything, vacuuming, and everyday we had to make our beds and keep our space clean. (there were 4 of us too, but I was in the middle)There were always so many things going on though, mom was vigilant about cleaning and the rest of us learned to hide things under our bed and in closets - then every three or four months - mom would make us do a big digging out of all the mess we'd accumulate. I don't know why we'd do that.
I love reading your memories and stories, you bring out such a softness to discipline and sacredness to cleanliness, respect for things. Looking back, you really know how to extract the lesson and value from the past and apply it to today. Thanks so much for sharing and letting us into that world. Namaste'
Hi Ms Re,
You are correct. It really is hard teaching kids what you have learned.
My son has his chores and there are times that I still have to remind him to do them. That's life. LOL.
Yeah, I agree about home training being underrated also in today's world. It is sad and true.
I thank you so much for your ... comments.
Take Care, N.E.
Nice Hub. Sometimes it seems harder trying to instill the things you learned in your own kids. Home trainig is so important and seemigly underated in today's society. We've got to get back to the basics.
Hello Edelhaus,
Thank you so much for your praises.
My mother was so cool. We had fun with her, and she taught us a lot. I try to talk to my son about my childhood the way she did with us. There are always lessons to learn.
I try to keep it clean, but I seem to be failing lately. LOL.
Thanks again for your comments.
Take Care, N.E.
Oh, yeah, loving your hat!!! LOL.
It is too cool.
That was really beautiful, you told your story in such a heartfelt way. Your mom sounds like an amazingly strong woman - you're lucky to have her (but you already know that). And by the very fact of your appreciation, you must also be a wonderful mother. It's obvious just in the little you said about your son that you adore him - and keep your house clean :-)
Hello Joesy,
I thank you so much for your praises.
HAPPY NEW YEARS DAY 2011!!!
I adored reading some of your hubs. Memories are so very important in our life and I love that you have so many close to your heart. I also love that you have lots to share.
Hi Christopheranton,
My mother was cool. She made sure we had fun all the time.
Thanks again for your praise.
Once again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! LOL. ENJOY.
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Hey Jalus,
My memories of my childhood is what fuels my writing ideas. I love it. I loved helping my mother also.
Thank you so much for your lovely words.
Again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
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Hello PaperNotes,
Responsibility is what I am trying to install in my 7 year old son. Sweeping, and fixing the bed, wow. I do not think I am teaching him enough .... LOL.
If I happen to fall asleep before he washes for bed he washes up, and put himself to bed. I was shocked, and impressed the first time he did that.
Thank you so much for your comments.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!!!
There are so many things that we could learn from our mothers which we would pass on to our own children. My daughter, at 7 now , is already a responsible kid. I need not ask her yer she would sweep the floor and fix our beddings.
This is a really great hub, it brought me back to my childhood and helping out my mother!
You certainly had a great mother. Thanks for sharing your story.
Voted up. Awesome.
Thank you so much for your wonderful words.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Thanks I have enjoyed reading this hub and Im sure it will inspire many, love the images you have a beautiful family and a wonderful story to tell too.
Yes, I do have a mother-daughter theme in most of my stories, and that has to do with how my mother did almost everything for us, and would tell us great stories that would warn us about how the world is.
Thank you so much for your comments.
Again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
I just started reading your hubs and am enjoying the attention to the mother-daughter relationships in your writing. *thumbsup*
Nellieanna,
I would not be a writer if it was not for my Mom. No, she did not want me to be a writer. Criminal Justice was my major. She hoped I would be a lawyer. I dropped out twice. LOL.
Problem was she told my siblings and me tales at least four times a week. Seriously, they were cool. At twelve I started telling stories to my younger cousins, and sister. It felt like heaven on earth.
I truly appreciate your praise.
Have a HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Take Care, N.E.
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Twilight Lawns,
No problem.
Take Care, N.E.
Thanks again, N.E. It was much appreciated.
lovely tribute to your Mom and explains a lot of who you are. Good read!
I will.
Read your beautiful yet sad poem.
Left a comment.
Take care, N.E.
And you. Take care.
Yes, the memories were pretty great. I smile when I think about them a lot.
My mother worked for 8 hours a day, and then -- like most mothers -- would come home and prepare for the evening's dinner.
I thank you so much for your comments.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Great memories, N.E.. Your mother sounds very sensible and an amzingly hardworking lady. I think it rubbed off on you. Thanks for the nice hub.
LOL. She is my hero also.
She planned things out. It is what I have learned to do, because of her.
Thanks for your wonderful comments.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
OMG, how could your mother do all that without falling down all worn out. She is my hero.
Yes, my mother would alway warn against playing around with the Wigi Board whenever we saw a scary movie about magic. So I hear ya.
Watching my mother cook while she listened to her favorite songs on the radio. That was cool. I can never let that image go, because she seemed so happy humming and cooking.
I am going to go prepare my home for Santa now. LOL.
I cannot wait to see my son's face when he awakes later this morning.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ALSO!!!
In terms of happiness I vote for cooking, luscious tastes and good smells, since magic is a pretty foul business when all comes around. And there is a magic in all those everyday things that beat most other magic if you hold on to them and cherish them.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO YOU AND YOUR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY!!
Hello Alberich,
You are right I have those same memories of smells, and tastes. My paternal grandmother died when I was about two years old, and I do not remember her at all, but I heard she adored me according to her only child, my father.
My maternal grandmother was not really the grandmother type who would do nice things with her grandchildren. She seemed nice, but she really was not.
My mother baked homemade biscuits, baked apples, -- they were great -- test tasted new foods with us, bought me a new Peanuts -- the comics -- cookbook and let me help her make dinner from that book. Cheese Hot Dogs on a bun, yum. LOL.
So, I did not have a family member who taught me magic. LOL. How cool was that? LOL. Seriously I want to know.
Thanks so much for your comments.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Im touched by the closeness and the care for all the small things that ads up to be life and a world. The stongest memories from my childhood are packed up smells and tastes from my grandmothers cooking her care and tenderness for me.. And also from my grandmother on my fathers side that taught me magic and took me on explorations in nature and beyond
Bless You
Hey Lucky Cats,
I thank you for this 2nd reading.
I do believe my mother is the reason I love fictional writing. She use to tell us stories all the time, but mostly on the weekends.
Thank you -- once again -- for your beautiful comments.
This is the second hub of yours I've read and they both take me back, so easily, to my childhood and the things I did with my mother. A very natural and easy to read hub, N.E., and I enjoyed every word and could picture (even before looking at your pictures) your mornings and making beds and the upside down bowls...very warm and wonderfully inviting memories. Thank you so much. Again, voted UP and BEAUTIFUL
You were lucky to have your grandmother with you teaching you things.
My maternal grandmother just wanted me to dance to James Brown for her. LOL. I danced with a smile and a split. LOL.
My paternal grandmother passed away when I was around two years old. Of the two of them she would have been a more constructive grandmother.
I appreciate your briefly sharing what your grandmother did for your family.
Thank you for your lovely words.
This is my first read on you! Brings back memories of my grandmother, she did all the cooking when I was little. She lived with my family. We do learn alot from our grandparents, which is why I am grateful that my children have had the opportunity to know their grandparents. Nice hub!
Thank you so much for your very beautiful comments Nayothara.
Awesome... I really enjoyed reading some of your life! And WOW I think you done well! LOL
Hi Druid Dude,
Oh, so you are from New York, cool.
I love the Mets. They are underdogs, and so am I. LOL.
I have fond memories of the '86 Mets. Oooooh, the past. LOL. My siblings love everything New York. Still, we all have a soft spot for the Mets. Also, we grew up in Queens. LOL.
I truly appreciate your kind words about my work.
Thank you so much for your comments.
Het! New Yorker. I'm on the west coast, but born in Elmira, raised in Cortland. NY Yankees/Mets fan till the day I die. Liked what I saw of your work. Keep it up, and I'm gonna watch what you do. Peace
Pennyofheaven, I agree with you, Mothers are the greatest.
My siblings and I always think about how lucky we were to have my Mom.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments.
Aren't Mothers just the greatest! Your hub reflects the value of having great Mothers. They know the skills that will always be useful throughout our lives! Excellent Hub Thanks!
Hello Lita C. Malicdem,
My mother would watch us lip syncing for her, almost every weekend, to her favorite songs. She took us out every weekend hours before we would be performing for her. It was always nice.
I thank you so much for your comments.
Sounds like your mother enjoys everything that she does for her family. She's a wonderful Mom. Good that she realized soon enough that she also needs help from you. It's hard to be a working mother with a family to attend to. God bless you and your family.
Debarshi Dutta, I am happy to follow you, and I thank you for your follow.
Thanks for your comments.
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Mandyf, I try to thank my mother so much for all she had done for us and she just brushes me off. LOL. I believe she loves I use our upbringing in my story ideas. I thank you for sharing your response to my story.
Thanks for your comments.
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GjFalcone, I was born and raised in Queens also. Go Mets! One year. LOL.
Wow, I am happy to hear my story resonated with you. I love how people could have similarities through different decades.
The hoarding actually depresses me, because it really is unrealistic to believe that you will get back to something you placed away for antoher time. You almost never get back to it. It just piles up waiting for you to finally check it out, and again you almost never do. Meanwhile your space gets less, and soon your place is over runned by things. Depressing.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments.
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JBunce, I thank you for your response and your brief yet sweet statement about your parents. We will always think about our parents. I love that.
Thanks again for your comments.
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Nell Rose, I do not know how my mother did it, but she planned it out atnight. I wish my mother was living with my son and me and showing him how to make his bed. I had not done that yet. He does clean his table and chair after each meal.
I thank you for your comments.
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Nettraveller, I am happy to have triggered some long forgotten memories. I hope they were all good.
To be honest our chores increased as we got older also. I became the family cook, but my mother did not teach me her younger late sister did when I was twelve. It made me feel really older and great about myself believe it or not.
I thank you for your nice comments.
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Breet, Thank you. You know chores produces great story ideas for me.
I thank you again for your comments.
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TracyKarl99, Thank you for your nice response.
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FiFi, Thank you for your nice comments, and I thank you for your follow also.
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ScarlettMyDear, Yeas my mother was determined and very hard working. She needed help and I am happy we were able to finally help us, because I love my father, but I do not remember him cleaning anything. LOL>
Thank you for your comments.
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OperatingRoomRN, Very slow learners my younger brother and I truly were. LOL.
I am very happy to meet you also. Oh, next week my family and I are going to my oldest -- my younger brother's first child -- niece's graduation. She's going to be a RN. I am so proud.
My mother is too proud for words. Finally one of her grandchildren listened to her and went into the medical field. My baby brother is a doctor, and now my niece -- who is now a LPN -- is becoming an RN. LOL.
Thank you for your follow and your comments. I look forward to reading your work soon.
Thanks for the nice welcome! Your Mom sounds much like my Mom...I love how you and your brother just say "Okay" when told their chores would increase. Beautiful!
I'm very glad to make your acquaintance. I like how you write. I was one of those "slow" children also. Luckily I had a Mom to help me learn also. LOL :D
I'm really enjoying your hubs, N.E.! You write with honest emotion about your family and friends.
Your mother sounds like a determined, hard-working and patient woman! Awesome, that she realized her children could help out with more responsibility and then acted on it pronto!
~Scarlett
Great hub - and the kids are adorable ;) Thanks for following me!
Thank you, N.E.! We all need our muses ~ you have a beautiful one. Write on!
I love this! haha! I especially liked the end...it puts me into, "find joy in all you do!" Yay!!
Great hub!
Hi,
When I was reading your hub, and came to the part where you mentioned that your mother had to make the five beds in the morning, I immediately thought: "Why didn't the children make their own beds?" It was funny that this was exactly where you were going. Growing up my brother, sister and I also helped with household chores like doing dishes, setting the table, helping to clean windows and sweeping when we were younger, and added vacuuming and helping to cook when we got older. I appreciate my mom for teaching us to do that. My father also did stuff, but more outside, like mowing grass and repairing things. Like another commenter mentioned already, thank you for triggering these long-forgotten memories!
Hi, I think your mother was amazing, and it was a great way to teach you as you got older, my mother used to make us do the beds and a bit of cleaning, but not that much, she used to do it for us! but now, looking back, I realise that she should have pushed us more! I love your photos the children are adorable, cheers nell
Great hub. When I was asked to put together a short bio for the church bulletin when I joined, I specifically put in a bit about considering my mother to be the single biggest influence on my life. And I definitely understand the stuff about the tendency toward being messy... my mom always tried to cure me of that, and after she died my father took over. But here I still am at almost 58, unchanged. But I still think about mom (and dad) a lot. Thanks for the memories.
Born & raised in Queens, much of your story resonated within my memory of the early years during the late 50's-early 60's.I suppose it was the similarity in lifestyle as well as family structure that I related to. I particularly enjoy your writing style, especially with your conveyance of emotion to Elaine 001 describing your fear of 'hoarding the NY Times.'Somehow you tapped into a specific memory that I had long since forgotten. Thank you for that...gjf
Funny the things we remember! Your mother sounds like she was an amazing person and mother. I called my mother shortly after I read this and thanked her for all the things she has ever done and taught me in life. Your mother has done well by you!
Thanks for following..let us follow the same road.
Debarshi Dutta
Elayne001, thanks for following, and reading.
No it is not easy keeping a home clean.
Wow, your mother sounds like my mother too be honest. LOL.
You are right though, it can make you a nagger if others do not keep it up. I found that out myself the hard way. I had to let that go with any of my ex- boyfriends. I just had to.
You know I once was becoming a hoarder? I am not sure I am not a semi one now. LOL.
I had to keep my New York Times paper .... I can fault my creative writing Professor for that .... LOL.
Then one day I read a story about hoarders and realized that was what I was becoming, and it scared me. I threw them all alway once I took a good look at my bedroom.
No, I can imagine that you cannot sit anywhere. I could not place clothes inside my own closet, because of the papers taking up all of its space. LOL.
My balance -- once again --was to throw those papers out, and either read what I needed for creative writing purposes or throw it away after a few days.
It hurted at first, but the papers were starting to pile up against my wall inside my bedroom, and not inside my closet any longer.
Again, thank you for your comments.
I enjoyed reading your hub and although it is not easy to keep the house cleaned up all the time, it makes us more comfortable. My mother was a fanatic house cleaner - you could eat off the floors, and I had to become much more lax or our marriage wouldn't last. So, I found what was more important than keeping it sterile, and spent more time with the children and my husband instead of yelling at all of them to keep it clean. I just found out my neighbor is a hoarder so that is the other extreme. I don't judge her, but it is kind of uncomfortable to visit there since there is hardly a place to site down. We all have to come to grips with a balance in life including how we keep our home. thanks.
Hello Msorensson,
I thank you for following me, and I appreciate your nice comments on my Hub.
Were you in a Miss Universe pageant? Interesting.
I really did not know that the judges actually would check bathrooms to see if toothpaste caps were capped. Actually that is funny. At the same time I can understand that.
It really is discipline, because they have a lot of duties to do while they have the crown for the year, right?
If they cannot do small things how can they do large very important things in the name of the Miss Universe pageant.
I appreciate that insight.
Thanks again for your comments, and your following me.
Thank you. I enjoyed the hub. This reminds me of the Miss Universe pageants where one of the things that the judges do or did..at least a long time ago,was go to the rooms of the contestants and look at their bathrooms and whether they capped the tootpastes and their creams and whether they made their beds...as a matter of discipline. It was part of the judging process.
I do not knnow if they still do it now but your hub reminded me of it.
Please, I know what you are talking about. My living area, son's room, kitchen, and bathroom are okay, but my room, well around my desk is a mess. Too many papers, and I have to leave out to take my son to one of his many appointments this week.
I had to make him a sandwich for dinner, because we get back in to late, and the best thing now is he can shower himself. That is heaven for me. LOL.
Well, I have to go, because his bus will be here in less than an hour and I still have to get myself done. He cannot even come into the apartment. I have to take him straight to his appointment so we are not late.
Thanks for your comments.
Your mother was a very hard worker just like my paternal grand ma and my mother. They all taught us different things. I learnt how to use my hands to grow a garden, fix things, cook and generally clean a house from both of them. However,I wish I could say my house looks great. It does sometimes, only thing is sometimes I let it go. I have been teaching my children to clean and pick up after themselves, we are still a long way off. A lot of times house cleaning, doing laundry and keeping things in perfect working order just takes a whole lot of my time to attend to other things. It is not as clean and ordered as I want it to be but I am able to do a lot of other things that I believe I need to do. I hope to get better and maintain a better schedule my heart demands that I attend to other important things too. Thanks, nice hub.
I can think of worse name you could call me. LOL.
Wright is fine.
Thanks for your comments.
What a nice reminder, Wright. Can I call you that? Great Hub.
Hello ACSutliff,
Thank you for your kind words.
Listen, I have family members that grew up with their parents and they did not clean anything. You go to visit them, and you see a disgusting mess.
If my father had raised us. Please, I would not know what the meaning of clean was. LOL.
Still, he was a cool role model for us kids when it came to hard work, and self respect. We just would have been dirty, hard working self respecting kids. LOL.
NE Wright,
I enjoy this hub because it makes me think about things I haven't pondered in a long while. I can't even remember if I was supposed to make my bed myself, but I do remember that I usually just spread the covers over the bed like you would spread a picnic blanket. Sometimes I did that right before I went to bed!
I still don't really make my bed! Oh, the pitfalls of growing up without a mother to teach me the ways of bed making and cleaning! Often times we get visitors now, and the house looks half a wreck because I never learned how to clean. You sure are lucky to have such awesome habits.
I was also raised by my grandmother and i know alot of legal things, am very strong confident and knowledgeable because of her! Great hub
Yeah, if you are lucky you get some really cool people raising you.
We all need to remember that.
Thanks for your words singlmomat52
I hear ya, we were raised by our grandmother and we learned so much from her. Even now at my age I think back on the wealth of knowledge she made availabie to about being good Moms and taking care of a home. Thanks for the reminder!!! Nice Hub!!
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Hey Rastamermaid,
Thank you for your praise.
You know, I was like you, I really did not think I would copy anything my mother did, and now that is all I do. LOL.
She did things in an orderly fashion mostly. She learned that on her own one day, and I was there as she decided to not take a whole area apart, but one section at a time. It was smart and I always do that myself to this day.
My mother had bad cleaning habits also. LOL. I do not follow them at all. To myself, I called them stupid and costly. LOL.
We did not go on family vacations. Strangely, my siblings and I did not feel deprived. My parents did take us to local amusement parks, BBQs, day trips, parades, weekend drives, and to the drive in movies.
I grew up in the Projects, and most kids did not go anywhere. So us always going somewhere was a big deal, and most kids envied us ....
So, we just never felt deprived even though we would have loved going to Disney. Now, my siblings and I take our children away on vacations all the time. LOL.
I thank you so much for your comments.
Take Care,
N.E.