Wednesday 6 November 2013

Looking after the family

I'm often asked why I do so much for my family. I work at various forms of employment, do the garden, maintain the house, shop, cook, attend to the animals and still manage to spend a lot of time in coffee shops. I'm expected to produce meals of restaurant quality at all times, lend a hand in the garage on weekends and occasionally wash the car. A hot pudding in winter and a cold pudding in summer must always be on the menu. I mend clothing when absolutely necessary and taxi them around in an emergency. I sometimes do wonder why I do it and there are certainly times when I could quite easily give it all up for a single life, preferably in luxury far away!

But in the words of James Brown, I feel good! It makes me happy to know that when they come home, there is a meal waiting, clean clothes are in the cupboard, the TV remote has batteries, the dogs have been fed and bathed when necessary, there's soap in the soapdish and toothpaste in the tube. It feels good to be able to provide comfort on a rainy day and a place to relax without stress after a busy day.

In return, I get to do pretty much what I want with what little is left of my time (actually quite a lot!) and am free to travel locally and overseas without having to drag an unwilling partner to places that won't interest him. That is worth many years of puddings, hot and cold!

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