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Feature

A Mother’s Retirement Plan

By Nancy Gibbs

Often when my daughter or daughter-in-law call to tell me about the latest adventures of my grandchildren, I think back to when my children were young. Those were certainly busy days, but ones I will cherish forever.

My mornings started early. Some days, the sizzling of bacon filled the kitchen, but most days the “snap, crackle, pop” of cereal was the only sound that indicated we had food in the house.

While my husband and the kids ate breakfast, I jumped in and out of the shower at lightning speed. There was no time to waste.

We spend the morning singing the ABC song, dancing with cartoon characters and counting everything in sight. After lunch, while the children napped, I picked up toys, cleaned the kitchen and washed clothes. I tried to steal some time for myself, but somehow those minutes were few and far between.

The job of a mother is difficult. We work long hours and fill many roles: doctor, accountant, taxi driver, housekeeper, beautician, entertainer, teacher. We rarely get time off and paychecks are non-existent.

But the benefits of being a mother are out of this world. Kisses, hugs, and smiles are priceless. Happy hearts and warm spirits are far more valuable than an island getaway. A hand-drawn picture is worth more than the most expensive painting in the world.

However, sometimes the days seem to run together. Although I was constantly moving, it seemed life was creeping along. I remember wondering if things would ever change. Sometimes I longed for adult companionship.

Before I knew, it, the kids had the nerve to grow up. They no longer wanted to watch cartoons with me. They wanted to play with their friends. They stopped laughing at my jokes. They decided that going out for pizza with friends was more fun than staying home and enjoying cookies with their mom.

Finally, I had the time to spend with my friends, but my friends had somehow become my children. And they had found new friends.

A few years later, they moved away to start lives of their own. I missed them terribly and I decided motherhood’s retirement plan was for the birds. I was lonely and sad—until my grandchildren were born!

Now when our granddaughters come to visit, we watch cartoons and dance and eat cookies together. Their scribbled art hangs on my refrigerator. Maybe this retirement plan isn’t so bad after all. God knew we would treasure these little ones as our own children and they would give us the gift of restored youth.

Nancy B. Gibbs is a freelance writer, motivational writer and writing coach living in Georgia. She is a pastor's wife, a mother and a grandmother. Nancy has been published in over one hundred anthologies, several hundred magazines and has written a weekly newspaper column for over ten years. She is the author of seven full-length books. Visit her web site at www.nancybgibbs.com.