Wisdom Wednesdays - Children Grow Up

When my children were growing up, I had a decorative plaque on the wall that read:

Cleaning and dusting can wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up we learn to our sorrow.

This quote was a guiding light for me in my house-keeping / cleaning routines.  It reminded me that my children were more important than a spotless home.  Yes, our home was clean, but I was not a neat freak as some of my friends were.  I've even quoted the saying to other mothers to remind them to keep priorities straight.

I did not know, until this week, that this quote was part of a poem:

Children Grow Up 

Mother, oh mother, come shake out your cloth!

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing and butter the bread,

Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking!

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby, loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew

And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo

But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo.)

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.

I’m rocking my baby. Babies don’t keep.

~Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Isn't it a lovely poem?  I wasn't looking for it, but stumbled across it on another blog.  I'm so glad I did because I will treasure it, 

The days of childhood are so short.  Think of it, Gail-Friends, childhood is only ten to twelve years.  These are golden, precious years to enjoy their sweet kisses and hugs.  Ten to twelve short years to play together and be as silly as you want to be.  I look back on those days of my daughters lives as the most wonderful days of my entire life.

I remind you, young mothers, you will have decades to pursue your own interests or to have a career.  Treasure and make the most of the lovely days of baby and childhood because you'll have so many lovely memories to look back on.

As a grandmother, I'm now treasuring the childhood days of my grandson and enjoying every minute with him.  It's hard to believe he's going on eight years old because the years has gone by blindingly fast.  I'm trying not to blink because he'll be graduating college before I know it.

Jem & me with him at the pumpkin patch in 2009.

Out to eat together on Mother's Day 2017

Every day is precious, Gail-Friends.  Make the most of it

Blessings,
GG




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