During the hour and a half it took me to mow 3/4 of our back yard yesterday (prior to killing the mower), I spent some time thinking. It's kind of pathetic that I need a piece of lawn equipment and all of the dangers that go along with it to keep the kiddos away long enough to think, but that was pretty much the case yesterday. If I was going to clear my head and have any moments of introspection, they were going to happen with the buffer of a roaring lawn mower.
One thing I thought a bit about was why it is that I don't mind doing 'handy' work around the house. I single-handedly removed the toilet, changed the wax ring underneath, and replaced the toilet two months ago. Last month, I removed our old crusty outdoor light fixture and replaced it, wiring and all, with a nice new light with a motion detector and the works. In our house, I am the builder of all things from Ikea, the fixer of many things broken, and the first to look for a DIY fix rather than calling a handyman. There are still projects that require skill and patience I don't possess--such as hanging the damned coat hooks in the laundry room, which have so far pulled loose despite my expert use of 3 different types of drywall anchors. But overall, I'm a pretty handy gal.
Yesterday I realized that I enjoy fixing and doing things that have traditionally fallen to the 'man of the house' for a few reasons. 1) There is a clear goal in mind and an obvious finished product. This is simply not the case with most other things I do in my daily life. Child-rearing, for example, doesn't offer up something at the end of each day that just screams "Look what I did today! Yea, it's finished!" Reason #2) I want the kids to see their mom as a capable lady who doesn't play the damsel-in-distress card when something needs to be fixed. Reason #3 came to me after the first of the beers I consumed while trying to provoke the broken mower into firing back up. That third reason is that I don't want any wimpy high-maintenance daughters-in-law. Maybe if Keller & Casey grow up with a mama who can handle her own, they won't bring home any girls who can't. I realize that sounds quite a bit narcissistic, but it's not meant that way. I want to love who my kids love and I much prefer the company of strong, independent gals over other types of women!
1 comment:
Happy Mothers Day!
There is something absolutely therapeutic about mowing. For me the drone of the motor drowns out the usual mental distractions and lets me focus on one issue to resolve (or none), I feel like I am exercising and on my way to Michelle Obama's arms (I can dream), and like you said, there is an immediate sense of gratification. You turn around and WOW! And when it is all over you are ready for a picnic and that beer you mentioned for a job well done. Any more cold ones? I'll be over in a bit!
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