Home » Partners & Parents » Motherless Mothering » Rainy Days and Saturdays....

Rainy Days and Saturdays....

© Jody Hart Lehrer

It is a dismal and grey Saturday. The rain is beating down on the balcony outside my bedroom, and I pull the comforter up around my neck, nestling in.

My daughter, beside me, stirs. She is beginning to wake up, turns over and throws her little arm over my shoulder. "Mornin' honey!" I say to Hannah.

"Mama, I am hungry! What's for breakfast?" she asks, rubbing her blue eyes. "How about if I make us some fried egg sandwiches?" I offer. Hannah looks at me, lying on her side. "What about scrambled egg sandwiches?" she counters.

She is six years old and knows her mind. I nod. I would be happy to make her a scrambled egg sandwich. I look at the clock. It is 8:30 a.m.

Now, our sandwiches finished, we are pondering what to do on this unwelcoming day. It is Veteran's Day and, in keeping with the somberness of the holiday, the skies are dark and ominous.

Perhaps a trip to the cemetary down the road. Hannah should be told about Veteran's Day, as her grandfather on my side of the family was a Korean War veteran.

She should understand the importance of serving for one's country. She should hear a little about sacrifice and selflessness. It would do her good to see the American flag on a day like today.

Hannah is a bright and thoughtful child who will absorb the information and throw it back at me later. She will query, as she often does, exploring the "whys" of giving oneself to a cause such as "the country."

I, of course, will be there for her. Today, we should try to brighten our little piece of the sky with an understanding of the generousity of generations.

Each of us has been blessed with so much. But what have we given in return? This is a day to reflect upon the fact that we take often take for granted what we have. We lose sight of the fact that many other people, men and women, have given their lives to protect what we pass over without a thought.

Today, we shall reflect and be grateful. The sky is looking clearer already.

The copyright of the article Rainy Days and Saturdays.... in Motherless Mothering is owned by Jody Hart Lehrer. Permission to republish Rainy Days and Saturdays.... in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.