To the Nurturing, Strong Mom at the Laundromat
Mom at the Laundromat
I have a rug in my den that it very light colored, not exactly white but close. With 8 grandchildren and more canines than I can count, it doesn’t stay clean long but that’s okay because it’s washable. I always wanted white carpet but knew better, so this is as close as I will ever get. After it gets past the more than a little dirty stage I take it to the laundromat in town. They have a couple of washers that will hold large amounts and driers that do too. But it’s a small laundromat so I never go on weekends or Mondays when I know it will be packed. Last week I picked a Friday to haul the huge, awkward rug into town to wash.
As soon as I got there I realized that all the washers that could accommodate my rug were taken. I sat down to wait my turn. While I waited I watched a young woman with a ponytail, shorts and a sweatshirt buzz around the laundry like bees around a hive. We were the only two people in the laundromat and it was obvious she had almost every washer and dryer in the building full of clothes.
I instantly knew she must have several children because when ours were young I would take garbage bags full of clothes to wash at one time in an effort to get the dirty clothes out of of our hallway where they formed a small mountain.
This nana was once a mom at the laundromat
Her legs were muscular and her ponytail swung back and forth as she flew back and forth from one side of the room to the other.
I couldn’t stand being quiet any longer.
“So how many children do you have?” I asked.
“Four,” she said with a sigh and a smile. “I have been so busy lately that I’ve gotten behind on my laundry. My washing machine is small and can’t handle all the laundry my family creates. My husband is a truck driver and he’s not home much.”
I told her my husband I (and Dorothy) had raised 5 and that number 4 turned out to be twins.
She looked at me with new respect. “Wow! That would kill me.”
I laughed. “No it wouldn’t, you seem pretty tough to me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. One does dance, another plays soccer and next year one’s playing baseball.”
She didn’t realize it but her life story mirrored mine in so many ways. My husband wasn’t a truck driver but he was gone a lot. Many times I had mountains of laundry that even with some help, didn’t seem like they would ever disappear. Many times I would bag it all up and go to the laundry in hopes of getting caught up.
I know she didn’t realize how flushed her face was from the heat of the driers and her constant running back and forth. She was a mom with a mission and she was determined to get it all done before school let out for the day.
We chatted about her siblings and where they were and what they are doing. She told me about her kids and how they always helped fold and put away clothes. Finally, her clothes were done and she bagged them up in huge black garbage bags. She looked like Santa hoisting his load of toys onto her back. I have no idea how many she carried out but it was a lot.
On her last trip out the door she turned around and said, “It was nice talking to you.”
“You too,” I said. And I thought to myself I wonder if she knows she’s a good mom. I found myself wishing I had told her. I hope her husband and children tell her.
Suddenly it was quiet in the laundromat. I watched the rug I was washing go round and round, like the hands on a clock that just keeps ticking faster and faster. I wiped tears off my cheeks and went to the bathroom to wash my face.
Did I wish I could go back in time and do ten loads of laundry a day? Of course not.
But there is much more to motherhood than laundry….
If you are a mom or nana you will understand what the tears were for.
Mother’s Day 2024
Mother’s Day is coming up. There’s a good chance your mom misses you. Call her. Hug her. And for heaven’s sake, don’t let her go to the laundromat on Mother’s Day! Do whatever it takes to make her feel special. She deserves it.
And to the mom at the laundromat….if you are reading this I hope you know what a good mother you are. Not because of the amount of laundry you do (although that was impressive) but because of your smile and the love in your eyes when you talked about your family. From a mom who has been where you are, don’t blink. Before you know it they will move out and take their laundry with them. Happy Mother’s Day to you. You are rocking motherhood!
#MothersDay
