Washing with my own hands

Washing with my own hands

 

My hometown is in the countryside.

If I wanted to go to downtown with a bus,it takes good 30 minutes to reach the bus stop.

My parents had a lonely life without any brothers or sisters.

Because of this, they just loved children,and I was the youngest daughter among their eight children.

No matter how tired my mom was with farming, she thought we; her daughters, will always do the housework after we've got married.

So she wouldn't let us help her with the housework at all.

Though I was raised in a farm village, I have never uprooted anything at all.

It was all because of my parents' fervent love.

Before washing machines were commonly in use, there were many neighbors gathering and hand washing their laundry at the well side and the stream bank of the village.

I envied them with a child's mind; when they were hand washing their clothes in suds, next to their buckets full of laundry.

Sometimes I secretly followed my friend and washed some of my socks.

Whenever that happened, my mom scolded me a lot.

I hated her because she never praised me for what I did.

This winter, the cold wave came more frequently than usual.

Constructively, the washing machine couldn't go in the bathroom of our house, and had to be installed in our yard.

When the weather became cold, the washing machine wouldn't work.

By the time my children's laundry piled up,I couldn't ignore but had to wash them with my hands.

In the beginning, I enthusiastically washed them since, it was fun and I felt great seeing clean clothes hanging on the line.

As time passed, my back and shoulders were so sore, and my limbs felt so heavy.

I couldn't help but kept on saying"Ouch!"

The pain was unbearable, so I went to the hospital for physical therapy.

Lying down, when I was treated, I suddenly thought of my mom.

Because I was raising my children, even though sometimes I didn't, I just had to do the housework.

Although it was only for few days in a helpless situation, it was surely strenuous.

I, myself could use hot water, but I don't know how my mom managed to wash all that laundry in a severely cold weather.

Hunkering down and washing those clothes,how much would have her body ached all over?

Her frozen hands must have been so sore...

After having a few days doing the laundry with own hands, I was so thankful and in a way I felt so sorry for not realizing my mom's sacrifice, and for not considering her love.

Even till now, though they are aged, my parents are still working diligently to give out everything for their children.

I feel more anxious when I think of my parents who have lived their entire life, bearing all their hardships just for us.

I eagerly want to deliver them to the arms of Elohim God.