Saturday, September 24, 2011

I Got To Thinking The Other Day

By Becky Comeau

I heard an interesting song on the radio the other day that got me making a mental list as I drove along.  It was about 'what you got' from your parents in terms of training.  Here's my list:
From Dad, he taught me to:
  • Swim
  • Skate
  • Ride a bike
  • Drive a car (standard shift no less)
  • Change a tire and check the oil in my car
I also got my love of travel and adventure from him.  He was a born travel bug and would have wandered the world were he able to. 

From Mom.  She taught me to:
  • cook   [HER soups, breads, pies, and holiday meals are noteworthy]
  • know how to keep a clean house [knowledge counts for something!!]
  • garden
  • love the smell of bedsheets fresh from the clothes line.  Now, would someone please invent that fragrance in a dryer sheet!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • enjoy the seasons.  Mom still loves summer, camp life, and swimming.  We picked apples in season, went tobogganing and ice skating in the winter,  picked fiddleheads in the spring and loved the smell of mudseason as it hinted of better things to come.  We noticed the early buds on the trees and even enjoyed raking leaves in the fall.   We always LOVED that 13 mile drive from "town" to camp on those hot summer days BEFORE THE DAYS OF CAR AIR CONDITIONING.   Just about the time we hit China Village, someone just had to say "it's cooler already".  
  • Love home and family.  Mom's relunctance to leave the nest for very long was the reason Dad didn't fully satisfy his travel lust, but, he understood that so well. 
What does your list look like??

2 comments:

Pamela M. Steiner said...

At first I thought Susan was writing this one, and then realized it had to be Becky cause it sounded so much like my generation! I'll have to think about my list...it will be similar in many ways to yours I am sure...I'll keep you posted! Thanks for this walk down memory lane!

Anonymous said...

My Dad taught me to:
Never live beyond your means.
The joy of singing to a baby.
Never judge anyone by what others say.
You can see God in nature.
Make a list of what you need to accomplish.
It's an honor to have friends, so cherish them.

My Mom taught me:
No matter how little you have, there is always someone worse off.
You can always share a meal or place to sleep for someone in need.
Family is the most important thing in life.
Laugh at yourself and with everyone else.
You never get to old to feel better when you're sick if Mom's around.