Two rough reddened hands
Wash plates, clothes, floors and faces
Work softened by love
The senryu is for Patrick’s Pic and A Word Challenge #195 – Work. And yes, those dishes are a real example of the work I do as a stay at home mom (don’t ask about the chunky, frothy bits – I don’t know what they are either).
Patrick’s words about the “beauty of the moment taking work out of the job” really resonated with me. Being a stay at home mom, I’ve sometimes have to work really hard to find these moments!
I know I have many poems here about mothering – some funny and some serious but all coming from a place of love. The work involved with being a parent really needs that love – not love as reimbursement from our children and partners, but love as a no strings attached gift to our children and partners. I think about that when I am on my 5th basket of laundry (we are a family of 6!) or loading the dishwasher for the third time in a day. I don’t love the chores/work but I love the people. And there are days when they show their love for me by pairing the socks.
©️ iido 2019
I Do Run 
ah such deep and unconditional motherly love, the best of them all! And love that touch if they pair the socks … do hope you give them regular chores, best way to learn and contribute 🙂
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Yes – we have a chore list and the inevitable chore struggle. But as they say, either give them a difficult time now or they will have a difficult time when they grow up!
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sounds like very wise advice!
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I actually chuckled at that last line about them pairing the socks 😂
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Lol! It’s the bare minimum of what the boys can do – that and folding towels! 😂
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<smile> Love is more powerful than beauty for making life worthwhile. 🙂 ❤
Thanks for the reminder. =)
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Love is beautiful! ❤️❤️
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❤ ❤ ❤
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Pingback: Islands ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #196 – Pix to Words
such a beautiful senryu, describing a very human activity. doing things with love makes it lighter and it blesses those who receive the work of our hands. thank you for reminding me to smile on the inside as i do my chores for those i love.
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Thank you, Gina! These long summer days with the kids out of school have been a good reminder for me as well. Although sometimes my smile comes in the form of gritted teeth…😂😂😬
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ah we all have those days, its this sort of reminder that makes all those days bearable. you have such a loving heart I am sure you’d be making jokes with the kids not long after the gritted teeth moment passed. sometimes love in large doses when all kids are home can be really overwhelming, that’s how i see my kids, really huge doses of love i need to swallow slowly and patiently!
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Such good advice! I may need a (drink) chaser after all that swallowing! 😂🍷
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Cheers friend🍸
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I don’t have to tell you (but I will still), this resonated so deeply! We may not like the chores but we do them out of love. Sigh…the things love makes us do! 😬😂
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Yes – love makes us crazy that way!
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I am a stay at home mom for long time now too and yes like you we are a family of 6..and my oh my its always a crazy house…crazy in a good way..i love what you said that you don’t like the chores but you love the people…i totally agree…my who never gets tired of washing the dishes, cooking, cleaning the house..(my list could go on)..but i love it when my i see my family feels the “home” in us because i takes care of them..
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Very true!! It’s taken me a while to realize that I do set the tone of what “home” is and that is something the kids take with them…
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Hehhe! Love it how you finish it. Mom’s work is never done and rarely rewarded. Pair the socks, kids!!
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