A Proud American Woman

A Proud American Woman

            It was a morning like all other mornings. She awoke, put on her robe, made breakfast for her husband and children, sent them off to work and school, and began her day. Maybe she cleaned a little, did some laundry, watched a little television, talked with her friends, or went out to tend flowers or her garden. She didn’t have a set schedule every day. After a few hours she fixed her lunch, ate, and made some cookies for her kids when they arrived home from school. Today was an easy day, because she knew once her kids arrived home, it would be chaos of homework and getting dinner ready. There would be no more down time for the rest of the evening. She had friends that went to work, but she enjoyed being at home with her children, keeping the house nice, and providing a loving environment for her family. Did she think about going out to work? Absolutely! Especially when the kids were fighting, the budget was tight, or the fridge was without food. Today was one of those days.

            The next day she opened her eyes ready to go out and find a job. She awoke, put on her robe, made breakfast for her husband and children, and sent them off to work and school. Instead of cleaning or doing laundry, she got dressed. She put on make-up, her Sunday best, and some high heels ready to go out to look for work. This wasn’t easy for her. She loved not having to deal with people on a daily basis. People were so negative, sensitive, and angry these days. It was a world she never anticipated, but she couldn’t allow this to stop her. Maybe her smile, positive, and kind demeanor would make someone’s day better. Plus, she knew bills would pile up and the cabinets, freezer, and fridge would all be empty if she didn’t do something. She got in her car with the want ads and headed out to submit applications, but something stopped her as she closed the car door. It wasn’t fear or anxiety. It was the feeling that somehow everything would be okay. She put her head on the steering wheel as she prayed and began to cry uncontrollably. As she looked in her purse through tear filled eyes for a tissue, she saw something green in the hole she had in the inner lining of her purse. It was a twenty dollar bill! Suddenly the tears dried up and she took a deep breath as she put her seat belt on. Twenty dollars may not be much to some, but for her it was milk, bread, veggies, and a little meat. She forgot about all of the retail stores she was going to go to today and headed straight for the grocery store. She didn’t have a buggy full of groceries like the lady in front of her or the man behind, but she had enough. That was all she needed to make two to three dinners until her husband’s next pay check. As she paid for her groceries, she heard two female cashiers talking about how much day care is and how they never get to see their kids. She felt a sigh of relief, that for now, she gets to be home. The kids arrived home that day in a good mood and she greeted them with a smile on her face. They shared their day with her, did their homework as they drank the milk she bought, and ate the cookies she made yesterday. 

            Yesterday was a great day she thought, as she awoke, put on her robe, made breakfast for her husband and children, and sent them off to work and school. She had a renewed sense of purpose. So she did a couple of loads of laundry to catch up for missing yesterday, turned on the television for some background noise, and washed the dishes from breakfast. She was enjoying her peaceful feeling until one of the juice glasses slipped out of her hand and shattered in her white cast iron sink. After turning off the water so she could clean up the broken glass she heard gun fire coming from the television. She rushed into the living room to see a breaking news broadcast. The reporter was saying, “War is definite!” She dropped to her knees in shock. The tears began as she prayed not only for her husband, who was in the Army reserves, but for her country and all of its leaders. As the day progressed, she stayed glued to the television. The reports were getting worse. Her wonderful, hardworking husband brought dinner home that night which was a real treat. He turned off the television so they could have a special night together as a family. It was a wonderful evening filled with stories and laughter. After they put the kids to bed they retreated back to the living room. He turned on the radio and they danced cheek to cheek. The phone rang before they went to bed that evening. 

            Five days later, she awoke, put on her robe, made breakfast for her husband and children, and sent her children to school, and kissed her husband as he left for war. This morning was not like the others. She skipped the cleaning, laundry, and other daily tasks to pray. It wasn’t a prayer with tears like before. She got down on her knees, clutching her bible tight to her chest and prayed for her husband, country, and its leaders. She was so proud of her husband for defending his country, but worried every hour of every day for his safety. Her children arrived safely at home that evening, but her husband did not. 

The next day, she awoke, put on her robe, made breakfast for her children, and sent them off of school. She felt she needed to do more for her country so she went to work at the factory her husband worked for before the war. She left after the kids went to school and was home before they got off the bus. After getting home she was exhausted, but knew dinner had to be made, laundry done, and house cleaned. The kids helped as much as they could, but they were still young. She wanted them to have a childhood or as much as they could in wartime. She did what she could to help defend our country at home.