Being a stay-at-home mother with several small children is an experience to say the least.  My first five children were born within 9 1/2 years.

Moms Need Friends

When we bought our first house I was expecting our fourth child.  We lived in fairly rural area and people were not very social.  In the five years we lived there I became acquainted with only a few of my neighbors.  Our church was the center of our social activities.  This is where we three young stay-at-home mothers met and became good friends.

We all shared the same challenge, finding someone over the age of six to talk to.  One of these mothers took advantage of some new technology, 3-way calling.  We would all get on the phone around the time our children got home from school and spend the next couple of hours doing dishes, cleaning kitchens, helping children (and each other) with homework, discussing dinner options and talking.  A lot of talking.  Having someone to talk too during one of the most hectic and stressful times of day was a saving grace.  As our husbands got home we would get off the phone.

Our most common complaint was that we were tethered by the length of our phone cord.  I had the longest reach because my phone cord was about 4 feet long and my curly cord was also long giving me another 6 feet of reach.  This made my phone semi-portable  This did not prevent my phone from getting pulled off or knocked off though.  I’m glad that it was sturdy because it was sorely abused and hit the floor often.  After I had pulled our phone off the counter several times my husband finally bought me a cordless one.  Once we all had cordless phones our activities expanded.

A Husband’s Lament

My husband commented about me being on the phone so much.  But I would just smile and say, “But I get so much more done.”  He began teasing me about the phone becoming permanently attached to my ear.  During that time I wrote the following just to make him laugh.

“Well, Doctor.”  said the husband with a sigh,

“The house has never been so clean,

The family has never eaten such fare,

And so you see how worried I have been.

“I don’t know.”  Said the doctor with a frown.

“This looks worse than I first thought.

I have to tell you in truthfulness

It’s that cordless one you bought.”

“I’m afraid that there isn’t much

That we can really do.

Her chances for recovery

Are really very few.”

“There is one thing that is possible

But I cannot guarantee it.

Of course it is highly probable she

Could have a conniption fit.”

“The chaos that could cause would be terrible!”

Said the husband with real fear.

“I guess that I’ll just have to live with

that telephone on her ear.”

Good Memories

Those afternoons on the phone with my dear friends are some of the sweetest memories I have.  Two of us have moved away and we are now all grandparents.  I haven’t talked to these sweet ladies in years.  We have reconnected on Facebook, but still don’t talk much.  It is fun to see how children have grown and the different directions our lives have taken.

Thank you my friends.  Just for being there.