January 18, 2005 5:41 PM
When the going gets tough. . .
I can't think of any other job like motherhood. With no specific hours, salary, or daily job description, the only way to describe our job seems to be "expecting the unexpected."
Like the day the doorbell rang and I rushed to finish diapering Zachary, whisked him over my shoulder and went running to the front of the house to answer it -- only to slip and barely catch us both when my bare feet hit an inch of water on the foyer tile. The front door was open, framing a salesman with eyes agog. Following his gaze, I beheld Benjamin, clad only in a diaper and holding the garden hose -- running full blast.
What could I do? Ben didn't know any better. Having watched and helped his dad water the lawn, he'd simply lost himself in his work and carried it on for a grand finale. He was probably feeling pretty proud of himself.
Angels must have been watching over us both. In a state of unnatural calm, I simply said, "Ben, hoses are for outside. Let's put it away now."
The aftermath was not so easy, involving hours of tearing up the surrounding carpet, slogging what seemed like tons of sodden padding to the dump, and blasting industrial strength turbo fans day and night for a week.
But we got through it, just as we've gotten through everything life -- and twelve kids -- could send our way. Each time it gets easier, as I'm assured by all the stuff we've gotten through before. It reminds me of the way the Bible always says, "And it came to pass. . . " It never says, "And it came to stay."
Sometimes I forget what came before. With so many kids I live very much in the now. And so I'm as surprised as anyone when reminded of some seemingly insurmountable problem that was somehow surmounted. The other day my kids had been watching home videos when one reminded me, "Hey, Mom, remember when Zachary used to stutter?"
Well, all of a sudden, yes, I do remember. Zachary was a really quiet child, a late talker who stuttered off and on for several years. Now the kids were reminding me how I'd coached them through the stuttering periods, forbidding them to finish his sentences, encouraging them to be patient (see this article I wrote When Your Child Stutters )
Eight years later, I wonder when was the last time he stuttered, and how it passed so barely noticed from my list of worries. Today Zachary is a National Merit SemiFinalist (I'm not proud or anything) and at 16 is getting an A+ in Advanced Placement Physics (can you imagine?). I can only think his little boy brain was synapsing so fast his tongue couldn't keep up!
We got through it!
Among other things with our kids, Tripp and I have gotten through two daughters' weddings, teaching six teenagers to drive, three tonsillectomies, three knee surgeries, eight sets of braces, four wisdom teeth removals, Jonny's five major surgeries, seven Terrible Thirteens (makes the Twos look like a cakewalk), several F's on report cards -- well, you get the picture.
As a young mother, I couldn't have imagined all that lay ahead. And if I did, I couldn't have imagined how on earth I'd handle it. But it came to pass, never to stay.
So when the unexpected hits your house, take heart! Just remember: You'll Get Through It Too.
Posted in Mothering | Permalink
Comments
That's truly amazing. I've always wanted a large family, being an only child, but. . . wow. Much respect, that's all I have to say.
Posted by: quasifictional | January 19, 2005 6:47 PM
