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Groton Daily Independent
Sunday, May 13, 2018 ~ Vol. 25 - No. 303 ~ 4 of 32
pains so she would smell “pretty.” I never did like perfume. It made my nose burn. I remember liking the smell of my father. It was just more natural. And some days it was more natural than other days.
As I think of my mother, I remember she was highly allergic to dirt, while my father was quite at home with it. Whenever I would come into the house with dirt from head to toe, my mother would go into some kind of hysterical fit wanting me to take off all my clothes and get in the tub right away, and sometimes, it was not even Saturday night.
Father, on the other hand, seemed happier when he was the dirtiest. Dirt never seemed to bother him. Grease spots or grass stains never offended him at all. But all of this offended my mother.
With a “holier-than-thou” air she would always say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
I’ve often thought to myself, if God did not like dirt why did he make so much of it? And, why was it so much fun to play in?
Another thing I noticed about my mother was that she didn’t know how to play catch in the backyard with her children. When she tried, she always threw like a girl. Father, on the other hand, caught everything, especially flak from mother. He caught everything she could throw, even a fit or two.
My mother was always laying down the law while father just lay down. I think my mother had some kind of nervous problem because she never could sit still long enough to really relax. Dad, could relax just about anywhere, and he did... often.
My mother and father made a good team, particularly in the building business. I can remember my mother always raised the roof while father enjoyed painting the town. My brother, sister and I enjoyed the painting exercises of my father, which may explain why his finances were always in the red.
Another thing I observed about my mother and mothers in general for that matter. There are times when mothers will have a good bawl for no reason, while fathers just loved having a ball for no reason.
I’m sure there were other differences between my mother and my father. When I realized that mothers are not fathers, the whole world began to make more sense to me. A good father is a perfect balance between a mother and a boy.
The Bible encourages us to honor both our father and mother. “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:” (Proverbs 6:20).
Perhaps wise Solomon had our generation in mind when he wrote, “There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.” (Proverbs 30:11).
Mothers may not be fathers but they are exactly what God ordered.