“Now don’t you dawdle, Josephine. It’s not nice to be late.” Oh, being late was just one thing my Momma used to hate. She always told me to be clean, to wash my hands and face. And if my clothes had dirty spots it was a big disgrace. It wasn’t always easy then. My days were filled with strife. But then I really can’t complain; I lived a privileged life. We always had enough to eat; I never missed a meal. In fact, we had most everything and had no cause to steal. When I look back so long ago, to when I was a child, I have to wonder how it came that I grew up so wild. I guess I just felt too constrained. The structure was too tight. And as I grew into a teen my impulse was to fight. Oh, I was just a teenage girl but I had my ideas. I thought that I knew everything, as did most of my peers. I challenged all authority, much to my mom’s dismay. I still remember fights we had, right to this very day. I have to shake my head today when thinking of the past. It’s only by the grace of God my anger did not last. And now I am a mom myself with two teens of my own. Oh, there are many days when I just roll my eyes and groan. But I learned something growing up that’s really helping me. Yes, teach them right and love them dear, but patience is the key. Lots and lots of patience. |