A Dishwashing Memory

MY DEAR FABULOUS DAUGHTER,

This is nothing new but is rather a memory that just popped into my head as memories tend to do for some reason when Christmas is fast approaching.

Your sister was about 7 years old and was in the habit of avoiding household chores. One night after dinner, however, when your father and I were watching a movie we had rented, your sister took it upon herself to push our little footstool up to the sink and wash the oily spaghetti pots and pans that lay within its confines. When our movie ended your dad and I walked up the stairs from the TV room and were very surprised to see there were freshly washed pots and pans in the dishrack. Your sister, who had been waiting nearby for us to make this delightful discovery, proudly stepped before us and announced that she had done all this washing herself. We of course congratulated her on a job well done and told her how very grown up she was to take the initiative to pitch in where help was needed. She beamed with pride and her little body seemed to actually swell with her growing self-esteem. It was a proud and happy moment for all of us.

I later noticed the pots and pans didn’t actually look clean at all and the rubber dishwashing gloves were not only wet inside, but the fingertips were filled with water. When I asked your sister to describe her dishwashing method, she proudly declared that she had filled the gloves with warm water so as to better keep her hands warm while she washed the pots and pans in icy cold water.

You've got to have a great appreciation for those who think outside the box.

Have a good day at work - I trust your two- and three-year-old students are mastering their dance steps for the forthcoming Christmas concert. I will look forward to photographs.

LOVE YOUR WONDERFUL MOTHER