Copyright
©Jane H. Johann, Palmyra,1990
“Lara & Mom”

I was preparing breakfast this morning for the two of us who happen to be together for awhile–my youngest daughter and me.  The apartment is great for a married couple, but I am not too sure about a Mother and Daughter! (giggling) The bacon was frying, slowly sizzling, while I mixed the omelet. When I finished that, and the bacon was still frying, I washed some of the accumulated dishes. Then the flood of practicalities from my Mom came into my head, “Be sure to use a clean towel when you dry those dishes!” After all, with eleven children, my parents and Great Aunt Gerty many germs abounded!  I am sure we are all going to live to be a hundred years old and immune from nearly everything! (yes, I know, we have made ourselves too sterile to the point that we will die if we breathe!).

The thought of my Mother’s admonition and practicality for the day made me think, “How will our children hear our voices?”

Today, cell phone texting dominates family interactions, sad to say. Even when we go to a restaurant, TV’s surround the eating area at every angle, blaring away! Why? I thought going out to eat was a chance to speak and listen to each other.  When we are at home in our living rooms, the TV becomes the god, along with football. I would prefer not having a TV, or, at the very least, have it in another room–because it does not bring life to the living room!  Bring in laptops, I-pads, tablets, and computers to accompany our visits, and we no longer hear each other, let alone our parents.

All those little bits of wisdom–what is proper, what can be done, what should be done, how to behave, how to be kind–and, foremost, the personalities of our Moms, their caring voices, their worried thoughts, their encouragements–are embedded in our brains from the voice of our Moms.  And, I am happy I have them!  My Mom was in my life for 60 years–and now I am blessed to hear her voice in my thoughts.

Then my heart becomes sad…how will children remember what their Mom said or their Dad said?

How will they remember them?

Will their voices echo through the cell phone texts?