Moms are hard-working!
Can you imagine what an advertisement for a mom’s job might say?
Help Wanted: In search of someone with a loving disposition and cheerful personality to do laundry, clean, shop, cook for a crowd, bathe, feed, change, wipe away tears, teach, and entertain. You must be available 25 hours per day, eight days a week, on nights, weekends, and holidays. If you have a head that can turn like a swivel, you’re a human lie detector, you require little sleep to get the job done, you can lift the weight of a car, and you have the fastest response time imaginable, this is the job for you! Must be patient and friendly. First aid skills for both humans and teddy bears are a plus!
This job description is only a small part of what a mom does, and without a doubt, it comes with those sneaky “other duties as assigned.” The role of being a mom is the biggest job there is, and it’s a job that never stops. Being a mom is also an opportunity to learn and teach what unconditional love truly means.
“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.”
– Dorothy Zbornak, The Golden Girls
Moms love to teach and share!
We had the opportunity recently to interview some moms from Edgewood in Fruitland, Idaho. They shared what it means to be a mom, the adventures of raising littles, and how wisdom from moms should be passed along and shared.
Wyoma Rogers and Verda Koehn both enjoyed raising their families on farms before moving into Edgewood. Farm work is such a great way to teach our kiddos the value of a hard day’s work!
Verda and her husband started their family while living on a farm in Oklahoma. They raised dairy cows, and everyone helped out on the farm, including their children. Verda is a mom of five, and unfortunately, she lost her daughter back in 1988.
Wyoma is a mom of three, but sadly, she lost her youngest last October. Wyoma and her husband enjoyed bringing up their family on a farm where they raised dairy cows and grew crops. Her daughter still operates the family farm today.
“Living on a farm is one the best places to raise your family because they learn so much. There are lots of experiences and lessons. My husband and I had big gardens and flowers. We did lots of camping and went many places,” remarked Wyoma.
Moms must be prepared for surprises!
Wyoma recalled a memory, back in the days before air conditioning, of her youngest son who took an unexpected swim on a sweltering summer day.
“We would swim in a big drainage ditch when it was hot outside in the summer. The adults would always get in first, but my youngest just couldn’t wait to get down to the water one day. Before we knew it, he was running into the water, and being carried off. My sister ran and grabbed him as fast as she could to safety. And all I can remember is him saying, ‘Aunt Ginny, I swimmed.’”
Wyoma said she’s able to smile about that memory, now, but at the time it was quite a terrifying situation!
Two of Verda’s children are fraternal twin boys who were very imaginative as kiddos, which brought on many adventures!
“They were always creative kids. They would climb the highest things they could find to climb. One even got in the tractor when he was about four. My neighbor called me and said that our son was driving the tractor by their house. I couldn’t believe it – he even removed the implement that was attached, just perfect!”
“Our twins were always up to something. There was another time when they decided to build their own house. Their dad helped them to get all the supplies, and sure enough, they built a little house. They stayed out in it for two nights. They even hunted a rabbit, cooked it over the fire, and ate it!”
Patty Kruck has three children. Her youngest sent her and her husband on quite a pursuit when he was small, too.
“My youngest was about four years old and said he was going outside to play; before I knew it, he left the yard. We looked and looked and couldn’t find him. I finally called my husband who came home from work, and we both looked all over. We found out that there was a carnival going on two blocks away, and sure enough, we found him standing there watching the rides and enjoying himself. I can smile about it now, but it was sure scary at the time!”
Moms learn as they go and give the best advice!
Before Virginia Baker was a mom, she said, “I had never even held a baby before! Then I had seven children in ten years!” Virginia recalled becoming a mom was very exciting. “I always knew I wanted to have a husband, and lots of children.”
Virginia had a lot of excellent advice that she wanted to share about raising babies.
“Bonding starts at birth; you just want to do everything for them. Love them, teach them to be honest, guide them, and cuddle your babies. Say a prayer so you have the wisdom to know what to do. Work ethic is important too, and honesty is the best policy when raising children. If they make a mistake, help them through it. As a mother, you always step to the front. I’d like to quote a staff member here at Edgewood named Gina Starkey; she said, “Being a mother is the hardest work I’ve ever done, but I loved it.” (Gina is Fruitland’s lead housekeeper. She has been employed at the Fruitland, ID, community for seven years.)
Verda learned volumes from her mom when she was young, too. “My mother was the sweetest mother that ever lived. She had me cooking and doing the wash. I just loved my mother.” Her advice for new moms is, “Love them and discipline them in a loving way – do what the Bible says.”
Being a mom paves the way for the best role yet; “GRANDMA!”
After enduring many adventures and life lessons, babies grow up, and before we know it, we go from mom to grandma, and great-grandma, or sometimes, like Virginia, you get the honor of being great-great-great-grandma! Virginia has 36 grandchildren and five of them are her great-great-great-grandchildren. Wyoma has three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; Verda has several grandchildren too, two of whom are her identical twin great-granddaughters! Patty has seven grandchildren and she really enjoys being grandma; “Grandchildren are the best, you have no idea!”
Reminiscing about motherhood brings us all together!
Being moms and grandmas isn’t the only thing Virginia, Patty, Wyoma, and Verda have in common, but it’s a fun talking point. As people choose to live at Edgewood, they continue to grow their families as they find new friends in both the staff and residents. Enjoying activities and socializing together are some of the best parts of everyone’s day at Edgewood. If you’re searching for senior living opportunities, please reach out to us today! We have senior living opportunities across seven states. There are many new friends just waiting to reminisce about motherhood, family, and how to enjoy these golden years together!
To all of the moms out there, THANK YOU for being moms, and Happy Mother’s Day from Edgewood Healthcare!
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