Girls Work Hard Too

Dear Natalia,

Your dad took me to look at a greenhouse today that we are going to be able to work in this year. I am so excited! As we walked in I was instantly taken back to when I was living at home and very young.

I remember my mom coming and getting me out of bed to work in our garden. It was the summer time and I think I was like 6 years old or something. Needless to say I didn't want to go and work in the garden when I was that young AND that early in the morning. So I grumbled up, all the way out the door and all the way to the garden. Looking back, I am sure all of us kids did that more often than not.

There I was, early in the morning, picking weeds. I was less than enthusiastic. After a little while I looked up at my mom and said something about having dirty hands and getting a blister. Then she said something I will never forget...

"Andrea, girls work hard too. Look at my blisters. Look at my dirty hands."

Then she resumed her weeding and didn't say anything else. It was a great lesson for me. Whenever I get a blister, or scratch, or dirty from working hard in the garden, shoveling, weeding... I remember those words from my mom. Ironically, I smile now instead of whine. Shrug my shoulders and go back to work.

I am sure I will have a chance, more than once, to tell you that same thing. But don't you worry, someday you will look at your hands and smile when you think about it too.

I love you,

Your Mom

(written Jan. 2011)