Shoveling

One of the reasons we have kids (though maybe we don't always admit it) is so we never have to shovel snow again. It doesn't work out that way like it used to.

When I was young I remember clearly my dad shoveling his car out so he could go over to shovel out his mom. He or one of his brothers would always take care of that for her. I remember her out with a broom sweeping the porch sometimes, but that was it. When they finished they always went inside and visited with her for a while.

While some things get better with each passing year, I think we've lost something in this area. I just spent a week sick - missed most of the week of work - and no one called to see if I needed anything - a drug store or grocery store run. It was a busy week for my son and my daughter is too far away. But it makes me a little sad. My grandmother rarely had to shop for herself, there was always someone going and asked if she needed something (it helped that she had 9 kids.)

In all fairness, I wasn't there for my mom. As a single mother I was stretched too thin. I asked her to come and live with me, but without that, there was no way I could add one more person to take care of. I still feel bad that I wasn't there for her more. Now, it's not that I did nothing. I left work for 2 hours one day so I could pick her up and take her to her dialysis appointment. And I spend several hours pushing her through Walmart in a wheelchair while she got her Christmas shopping done. But I wasn't there for her for the day to day things. I still wish she'd agreed to move in with me. I couldn't have given her a good life, but I would have done all I could - just like I did for my kids.

So today I shoveled out my sidewalk and car. And after the next snowstorm I will do the same . . . at least for as long as I'm healthy and strong enough to do it.