This summer we have been exploring the concept of earning an allowance. The boys have both been assigned a short list of chores to complete each week and if they do, they will earn $3.00. Of that money, at least $1 must go into savings. As we progress in this experiment, we will eventually select a charity to donate to as well but for now, we are concentrating on making the chores part of their routine and learning the value of a $1 so to speak.
My little sister is getting married in a week and in a few days we will have some house guests staying with us. Inundated with housework that never seems to be caught up, I offered the boys an extra dollar each to clean up the playroom. I mean, really clean it up. To sweeten the deal, I tossed in an extra fifty cents to whoever found their cousin's sandal that I knew was in there but had refused to show itself for about 3 weeks now.
Five minutes into the great clean up, my youngest child shows up in the kitchen with the baby's shoe and asked for his 2 quarters. As I handed them to him, he said "I'm going to give one to my brother because he helped look for it too."
I've got to tell you, that just about melted my heart and definitely warmed my soul. Most kids, probably myself included at that age, would have run off with the two quarters as their own but my child wanted to share with his brother becasue they both took the time to look for the shoes. Does it get any better than that? At the age of five, there is absolutely no sign of greed in my little man. I can't help feeling like we might be doing something right as parents after all!
It's the little things that keep me moving forward.
This has been a particularly rough few days in our house. My mother in law, who has been ill for a very long time, has taken a turn for the worse. The much worse. It is only a matter of days, a week at most before I once again have to broach the extremely difficult task of explaining death to my little ones. Trying to make arrangements for my husband to get up north to see his mom and help out his dad with only a week until the wedding that we are all in and squeeze in a minor surgery for my oldest has pushed both of us to the brink of breaking. Since my husband's job pretty much owns his soul, we are pacing the house waiting for permission for him to leave while I shift the household books around to make accomodations for the unexpected expense.
As some of you might expect, I have been experiencing a great sense of de ja vu from my own father's passing only a year ago and that is adding to the heavy weight I am feeling as we wait for "the call". I personally, do not fear death. I am sad to think of my boys growing up without a mother, but I am not afraid to die. I have always tried my hardest to live the best way that I could. I hope I have done more good than harm in the world and I don't have a single regret. Except maybe turning down law school eight years ago... how different my life would have been had I earned my JD... Anyway, I believe that the real sadness in death is for those left behind with the big empty hole in their lives where the one they loved used to be.
From what I understand, I am one of the lucky ones. My in laws are very good to me. They always have been. They love me and I love them and losing one of them is going to be extremely difficult. We have always had a great relationship and I am so glad that I did have to go through my married life with a mother in law who didn't like me as many of my friends have told me is the case in their lives. Because of them I have had many opportunities I may not have experienced otherwise. Trips to Narragansett, Disney, Carolina Beach and Newport are just to name a few of the great things we have done together.
Maybe there will come a day when death does not have to be painful or drawn out. For now I will concentrate on supporting my husband and father in law as best I can. It is unfortunate but I do have a bit of experience in this inevitable part of life.
No comments:
Post a Comment