Baby Sister texted to thank me for posting about our mother, and we reminisced about childhood holidays. She remarked on the work Mom did to stage those holidays. She said how thankful she was Mom made the effort because it provided lovely memories. Baby Sister waxed poetically about pulling out Mom's good china and setting a beautiful table under Mom's direction. Sheesh.
My mother was a great cook, but a lousy housekeeper. She's famous throughout our extended family for her messy house. So for her to summon up the energy to discard all the accumulated junk on her dining room table was a monumental act of love in itself.
Great, I thought to myself as I squirmed uncomfortably in my chair with the phone to my ear. Now in addition to cleaning like a crazy woman, I had to go through the boxes in the garage to find the good china?
I muttered a stream of swear words that would make a sailor's eyes pop out, pulled my lazy #%* off the couch to start cleaning the house and digging out the china. I made the effort not because I wanted to, but because my grandkids deserve Thanksgiving memories of a beautifully set table at their grandparent's house. The things we do for love, right?
Is that all? Well of course not! I'm a sneaky old woman and I'm leading up to something more important than cleaning; climate change. If we don't start making the changes to deal with this, there won't be a future for our grandchildren, great-nieces/nephews.
Why bother? Well, why bother breathing?!
Climate change WILL be at the top of the list for the new Democrat majority House of Representatives in the U.S. While they deal with the big issues, we must muster the energy to overcome our cynicism and despair on the home front. We can start creatively imagining new ideas, new industries, alternate economies, better and more effective political strategies so there will a reasonable future for those we love.
Call me naive, but to me there is nothing more important right now than this: reuse, recycle, re-imagine, rethink, and redesign. Please make the effort.
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| Popeye would do it. Bluto would not. Be like Popeye. |
Colette, I am respired. That is more than inspired; I've been "in" since childhood and mother on the recycle bandwagon. Which, of course, she had been on since birth: use it up, wear it out, make it do. I believe I will snap out of my funk and document some of my recycles.
ReplyDeletePlease do - the more we talk about these things the more impact we can have. And giving loving examples from our lives will have the most impact.
DeleteYes, yes, yes. More and more, we need to care for this great big home of ours.
ReplyDeleteMore and more!
DeleteThis post made me search for a poem by Gary Snyder that I haven't read in a few years. He wrote it more than 40 years ago. It's called "For The Children"--
ReplyDeleteThe rising hills, the slopes,
of statistics
lie before us,
the steep climb
of everything, going up,
up, as we all
go down.
In the next century
or the one beyond that,
they say,
are valleys, pastures,
we can meet there in peace
if we make it.
To climb these coming crests
one word to you, to
you and your children:
stay together
learn the flowers
go light
I love Gary Snyder and I love this poem. Many thanks, Robin.
DeleteIf we know how to take care of our mother's best china, we are one step ahead. The things we for love, indeed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for weighing in, Sabine. I was deeply moved and motivated by your most recent blog post.
DeleteDid you read about the couple who were cleaning for Thanksgiving and found a $1.3 million lottery ticket. Makes it seem worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to buy them first, ha! But if I did, misplacing them would be a natural act for me.
DeleteDespite the garbage from the top (he needs to be recycled), we can all do our part. The threat to the planet can be seen more clearly now and anyone with a brain knows that unless something is done quickly, the future looks terrible.
ReplyDeleteHe does need to be recycled. The sooner the better.
DeleteDoes jumping from FL governor to Washington senator count as recycling? Hmm, thought not. Did you happen to see the cartoon on the opinion pages of today's Tampa Bay Times? Turtlehead, wide eyed and gleeful,aboard a paper airplane made from a dollar bill winging his way towards the pentagon. Groan.
DeleteRecycling? I've been on board forever!
I'll check it out (Tampa Bay Times). Yes, I think most of us have been recycling for many years. Still bears repeating, especially for those who have not. Those of us who have experience can share ideas with those who wonder how to start.
DeleteOur deal was I did the washing up, ordered the plumber and other artisans, researched the replacement white goods (like the fridge-freezer, qv), reached for things that were on high shelves, went up into the loft whenever that became necessary, oversaw all transportation (other than the free bus trips to and from the city), decorated the outdoors Christmas tree, handled the garbage, chose and bought the booze (a substantial and varied disbursement), did minor but regular shopping, plus others odds and sods.
ReplyDeleteVR did the cooking, the major shopping, the washing, and formed the first line of diplomacy between us and our offspring.
As you can see this is an unfair division of labour. VR gets the soggy end of the lollipop. Our world shrinks with age and things are changing. Rather heartening, our daughters (in their fifties but I see them still as kids) with their associates take over more and more responsibilities and have immeasurably sharpened their articulacy to the point where I often lose arguments. Families, like trash, get recycled and neither of us feels the slightest resentment.
I enjoyed your detailed job description in the first paragraph. It is very much the same as my own husband's, right down to the high shelves and attic work. However, he was a professional cook so he also ends up doing at least half of the cooking. He was bedridden for six weeks last year after surgery and I had to do all his jobs as well, although I hired someone to mow the front lawn (I did the back because of the garden beds). I was very happy when he recovered.
DeleteI'm happy to hear you sometimes lose arguments to your daughters. It is nice to know you have that kind of a relationship where they feel they can argue with you, and I'm quite sure winning is a thrill for them.
Thank you! This bears repeating:
ReplyDelete"While they deal with the big issues, we must muster the energy to overcome our cynicism and despair on the home front. We can start creatively imagining new ideas, new industries, alternate economies, better and more effective political strategies so there will a reasonable future for those we love.
Call me naive, but to me there is nothing more important right now than this: reuse, recycle, re-imagine, rethink, and redesign. Please make the effort."
Cheers!
DeleteWhile I do believe that everyone doing their small amount can make a huge difference, I am so discouraged with a president who is allowing industry to pollute as much as they want just to make a bigger profit. It's like saying I will make money on my home budget by throwing my garbage on the front lawn rather than paying for it's safe disposal. I'm making more money but drowning in garbage. Arrrggghhhh! We cannot get rid of this dangerous clown soon enough.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The damage he is doing will take years to undo.
Delete