I'm doing my laundry this rainy morning. This entails taking the clothes from the hamper, walking down the hall, putting clothes into the washer, then I come home, sit down for 45 minutes before going to put the clothes into the dryer. Once dry, they are sorted and put away. What can be easier?
Then I think of my dear mother who I will forever love and miss. For her, doing the laundry meant wash day. And it was called wash day because it did take her all day with no 45 minute rests between loads.
She would takes the clothes from the hamper, carry them downstairs to the wringer washing machine. She would need to stay with the machine and carefully put each piece of clothing through the wringer once they were clean. One day my mother's long hair was caught in that wringer. A little girl, I stood by helplessly, fearfully hearing her cries until at last she could reach the plug to stop that wringer.
Once through the wringer, the heavy wet load of clothes needed to be carried upstairs, then outside to the clothes line where, weather hot or cold, she would use the clothes pegs to hang the first load before going down to take care of the next one.
In summer she would be be sunburned. In winter her poor hands would get so rough and dry that sometimes they bled.
After getting the dry clothes off the line she would fold them into her basket before setting up the ironing board. Almost everything needed to be ironed and we were a family of eight so there was a lot of work for my dear mother.
Once ironed, all the clothes would be put away neatly in drawers or hung in the closet. By then it would be time to get out the pots and pans because everyone would be looking for supper.
My mother was a beautiful, hard-working, caring Mom and she worked her butt off for her family with very little appreciation, and no one ever thought to stop and say thanks Mom, for doing my laundry, or thanks Mom, for making my dinner, or thanks Mom, for keeping our home so clean and pretty.
I'm doing my laundry today. For me alone. And doing my laundry means I have time to sit down and type these words while I think about what movie I will watch this afternoon on TV.
Yes, we have come a long way! But hang on to the precious memories of what women have endured in order to bring us to where we are able to have an easier life today.
I miss my Mom and I am grateful for all that she taught me.
