THOUGHT OF THE DAY FROM LYNN McCANN
Earlier this year I was mighty grumpy when it became necessary to replace my washing machine. That old machine had been intended to out live me and the money needed for the new one, I had envisioned spending on another adventure out of town. Well… Covid was already under way when the new machine arrived so, while the washer went about its business, out of town adventures were instead to become daydreams. I was able to travel further and more often with my daydreams!
A few moments ago the new, fancy machine announced it had finished its job by playing a happy, uplifting tune (the old made its announcement with an irritating ‘BZZZZZZZ’). This started me off on a philosophical trail! An in-town adventure of the mind, if you will!
What a perfect way to end each of our chores, with a joyful tune!! It brought to mind one of my all-time favourite movies, “Pollyanna” (played by a young Haley Mills). In that movie, Pollyanna, an orphaned little girl who went to live with her rich, perfectly proper and joyless aunt, loved to play the ‘Glad Game’. In the glad game, you search yourself to find something in every situation, no matter how dour, to be glad about.
Today my ‘Glad Game’ brought to mind how glad I was that I had a nice new machine to efficiently do my laundry without spewing water out all over the floor! Then I thought of my Mom, going home exhausted, after working in the mill during the war, and having to wash her overalls and other laundry on the scrub board when all she wanted to do was fall into bed. What joy it was for her when she was able to replace the scrub board with a wringer washer!
All kinds of thoughts tumbled about in my mind. How lucky I am to have a dryer to toss the clean, wet clothes into instead of timing the laundry chores for only sunny days when the clothes needed to be hung out to dry. I remembered one time, out in Alberta, freezing my fingers while hanging the wash out on the line at 15 ‘below’. I did it because Mom often talked about having to stand the sheets and long johns etc, up against the wall of the living room after they freeze dried outside and I wanted to know what that was like. The experience left a lot to be desired and I was very, very glad that I lived in more modern times and never needed to suffer with frozen fingers every winter wash day as so many did long ago.
I remembered when the pump for our well went kaput and we needed to carry buckets of water from the very nice neighbours for about a month during the cold prairie winter. It was about 250’ from their back door to ours and we soon learned to always remember lids for the buckets so we wouldn’t break our necks or legs slipping on the stairs made icy from spilled water. We also learned to walk only the pathway made by the dogs visiting from one house to the other. If we miss-stepped off the hard packed path, we would end up floundering, up to our thighs, waist or armpits (depending on which family member it was), trying not to spill the precious water. We learned how to make a little water go a long way and never wasted a drop! We were VERY glad and grateful when the new pump arrived and was installed!
Although we are living within the constrictions of the Corona Virus, I am glad that we live in a place that is not too hot nor too cold, its just right! Glad that we live within such beauty. Glad that, if we want to escape our four walls, we have many choices of outdoor venues to enjoy without worry. Glad that we live in a time that gives us the opportunity to ‘facetime’ or phone our family and friends when we cannot be physically together. Glad that this time of restriction will not last forever. Glad that when the restrictions are lifted, we will come together joyfully, appreciating each other all the more because of the enforced separation. Glad that we have a God who loves us and who is with us every step of the way.
Like Pollyanna, find time to play the ‘Glad Game’ and… like my new washer sing a joyful song as you complete each chore!!
God Bless!!