Embarrassment? Yes! My wife asked me to hang some clothes out on the line, since she had to leave the house hurriedly and did not have time to do this herself.
Of course, I did that small chore for her. A little while later that same day, we went walking on the walking trail. Well, I don’t walk too fast, but I noticed that people were passing me and would smile and start laughing – many would look back at me and laugh again.
Being curious, I asked my wife why everybody was laughing at me. I said, “See what’s on my clothes or on my back!” Suddenly, my wife started laughing also and I started laughing but didn’t know why. My wife took a pair of panties from my shoulder, and then I remembered that when I hang up clothes, I always throw a few pieces on my shoulder. I sure was glad they had the initials “R.G.” on them.
Things that you should have done, but you didn’t: I’m going to write about a subject that I wrote about six months ago. I had a lot of calls and comments about it.
When you are raising a child, you really don’t realize how short a time that you have with your son or daughter. Some people will get a babysitter two or three times a week so they can go out dancing and partying. When you child is 2 or 3 years old, there is nothing sweeter than putting your won child to sleep by telling it a bedtime story or singing lullabies to him. And while you are close to him, he will put his little hands on your face and nose and rub his little fingers through your hair. Is this not better than dancing, staying out late at night and then coming home to just look at your child asleep? Look at his sweet, little face with his eyes closed and holding a little teddy bear in his arms, and you weren’t there to put him to sleep. You will surely regret it one of these days.
As your child gets older, take him out when you go to ball games or to play in parks, or to some funny movies. Take them to church and tell them how nice they look when they are dressed up. Take an interest in all school activities and tell them how proud you are of their good grades. These are the best years of your life, when your child is with you because there will come a time after they finish high school and go off to college that you will start seeing them less and less.
Eventually, they will meet someone that they like or maybe just good friends and they will not come home as often as they once did. There also will be a time when they will call home, especially on weekends or holidays, and say that they will not be coming home at all; that they will spend time with their own friends.
Now how are you going to feel? Sitting at your dining table without your loved one? Lonely. You will stare with tears rolling down your cheeks at his chair and place at the table where he always sat. And you could visualize that little mouth chewing his food, laughing, and then you would look up and see his picture on the mantelpiece when he was a little boy.
Don’t let this happen to you – always be there for children!
* The End *