Always being of a historical turn of mind, the way my brother and I were raised, with responsibilities and tasks from an early age, reminded me of how squires in medieval times learned courtesy, management and other valuable lessons, by similar service. We were sent to purchase items from stores before we were out of grammar school. Cleanliness was indeed next to Godliness in our house and we were responsible for much of it. We early learned that being part of a family meant working willingly together as a team with the family depending upon all our efforts.
I endlessly have benefited, and still benefit, from those early lessons, and my heart still warms with pride and love when I recall overhearing, long ago, my Mom tell one of her friends that since I came home from college on a summer vacation that she had not had to touch a dish in clean up because I was so good at voluntarily washing and drying the dishes.
Thanks Mom and Dad my first, and in many ways my most important, teachers.
Their reward in Heaven is great.
From my dad, I learned to paint, use power tools, plant grass seed, keep the swimming pool clean, wash, wax and clean the cars long before I had my license, clean gutters, cut and hang a sheet of drywall, among other things. From my electrician uncle I learned to replace a wall outlet, a light switch, a damaged plug on an electrical cord and install a ceiling fan and a light fixture.
I learned how to remove a lawn mower spark plug and blade, and replace them, as well as change the oil, the antifreeze and the battery in a car. I could even replace a car radio.
From my mom I learned how to feed, bathe and change a diaper for a baby. We did dishes, cleaned floors, made our beds, washed windows, changed a dryer vent hose, replace a damaged screen on a screen window or door,
For one year between the summer I left Washington to the summer I started working in Pittsburgh, I made sure that the dishes were clean and put away, the carpets were swept and the floor was clean, the garbage was taken out and the laundry was done when Mom worked on a weekend. I was not making a lot of money working on temp jobs so this was the least I could do.
A couple of years ago, I replaced the rusted out light post in her yard. I knew how to do the wiring and how to mix a small batch of cement to fix the past upright.
Now, when I am there on a weekend, I give her a pain pill with a half spoon of pudding and help her with things she can’t do for herself.
I do not intend to brag. It’s more what I learned to do from my mom and dad and other adults when I was growing up. Every kid ought to learn how to clean, cook, sew (I’m no good at that), use basic tools, check the oil, antifreeze, air and washer fluid on a car, do laundry and organize important documents.