A faithful reader of the Warm Thoughts column and a very dear friend sent an essay entitled, “Wet Oatmeal Kisses” for Mother's Day column. It is thought provoking and helps us realize how fast children grow up.

Wet Oatmeal Kisses,

The baby's teething, the children are fighting. Your husband just called and said, “eat dinner without me.” One of these days you'll explode and shout to the kids, “Why don't you grow up and actor age?” And they will.

Or, “You guys get outside and find yourself something to do. And don't...slam the door.” And they don't.

You'll straighten their bedrooms on neat and tidy toys displayed on the shelf hangers in the closet. And then you’ll yell, “Now I want it to stay this way.” And will you will prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't had all the olives picked out. And decorate a cake with no finger traces on the icing. And you'll say, “Now, this is a meal for company.” And you will eat it alone. You’ll yell, “I want complete privacy on the phone. No screaming. Do you hear me?” And no one will answer. 

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti. No more dandelion bouquets. No more iron on patches. No more wet knotted shoelaces, muddy boots or rubber bands for ponytails. Imagine a lipstick with a point. No more babysitter for New Year's Eve. Washing clothes only once a week. No PT or  PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree. No carpools, blaring stereos, or forgotten lunch money. No more Christmas presents made of library cards and toothpicks. No more wet oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy. No more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss, or sticky fingers to clean. Only a voice asking. “Why don't you grow up?” And the silence echoes.

More Warm Thoughts: I'd like to ban Mother's Day forever. That's right. I say ban. I'm not looking for trouble. The point is I'd like to switch it to a Happy Mother's year. The way I see it, if mom deserves honoring it shouldn't be once per year. It should be consistently, all the time.

Jack Beisel.

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall, hurt, fail and make mistakes. I loved you enough to say no when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.

Happy Mother's year. Tell your mom you love her every day. 

Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea by Luetta G. Werner

May 9 1996

Published in the Marion Record

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Till next time,

Trina