I know sometimes I must sound like a broken record. In fact I think telling my kids I sound (and feel) like a broken record is just a nice way of saying I'm tired of nagging.
When I was a kid my mom used to always remind us to "hoe to the end of the row." Now whether that was something she grew up hearing or it was just appropriate for where I grew up in Southern Idaho in a largely agricultural community, I'm not sure. Whatever the reason, I got it.
The summer after eighth grade I got my drivers license. I was fourteen and weighed 85 pounds. I drove my family station wagon with the biggest phone book we could find to sit on. Yep fourteen and we didn't have additional restrictions like driving with parents for so many months, no friends, siblings only, etc. Anyway, that spring in an effort to make a little money to off-set my cheer-leading uniform cost I got a short-term job for a neighbor farmer picking rock. Yes, you read that right. In Idaho that's how they say it; pick rock, drive truck, needs ironed, etc. I would have been laughed at had I called the guy up and said, "Hey, do you need any additional help picking up rocks?" Anyway, I got up early to beat some of the heat and I'll never forget that first day standing there in full sun, looking at that HUGE field. Never had a "row" looked so long to me. That along with a half dozen other experiences like years of a 5 a.m. paper route and 4-H steers were good for me. They make me who I am today.
But this post is really about "hoeing to the end of the row". How do we teach our children to not just take the towel into the bathroom, but also to hang it up. To not just aim for the laundry basket when throwing in their dirty clothes, but actually make sure they end up inside. To not say "I'm sorry" in that "upset, dang I got caught voice", but say I'm sorry AND sincerely mean it. To start a cross-stitch, coloring page, new chapter book or whatever you've decided upon and truly invest yourself to finish it, 100%. To not only say hello to someone at school that may be alone all the time, but really give of yourself and become a friend.
I'm hoping that the things that keep coming out of my mouth somehow get imprinted on little ones hearts and minds. I'm hoping that along with a million other things I want for them, they'll learn to "hoe to the end of the row".
Friday, April 9, 2010
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Those are excellent questions! When you find the answers, you should write a book. I would buy it. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't have to hoe anything growing up, but I used to hear people talking about a "long road to hoe." I always wondered why someone would want to hoe a road.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written! I think that is the million dollar question. It's just too bad our kids aren't born all ready knowing these things. It sure would make the job of being a mother a lot easier! And perhaps not such a "nagging" job.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the "hanging up the towel in the bathroom" comment.....I am always picking up so many useful bits of parenting info from you!
ReplyDeleteBeing a city girl, this comment had no literal meaning for me. I heard it from my parents. I also have a great poem that is worth reading with this phrase in it.It is so applicable to many areas of our lives.
ReplyDeleteMy parents also said, " If you have something that needs to be done, it is worth doing right the first time." If I ever did it wrong the first time, I was made to go back and do it right the second time or third time until I got it right--With their words ring in my ears. I finally learned that it saved me a lot of extra time and frustration to just do it right the first time and be done with it. Good lessons that have served me well. Love, MOM
Hi! Cute blog! I just want to know how I can get my husband to throw his clothes into the laundry basket instead of next to it! And I'm grateful for 5 years of paper routes too!
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