We all reach an age where we want to be able to do everything ourselves. When mom is hounding on you to help her with the dishes or do the laundry, you often roll your eyes and do it with a lethargic attitude, but when your mom is no longer there to tell you to do these things, your eyes start to open and you realize all the crazy things your mom does to keep the house together. Being alone for just a week, there are fifteen big things I learned about that my mom always did to maintain our normal life at home.
1. The dishes don't do themselves.
When mom is home, somehow, some way, she always seems to get the dishes done in less than five seconds. When she isn't there, it seems like all these dishes magically appear in the sink dirty and uncleaned.
2. The dog needs constant attention.
Having a lovely dog in your home is nice because they can be the best company ever, but sometimes they become so needy and want you to play with them always or they want to sleep in between your legs while you try and take a nap after a long day. They're still cute and lovable at the end of the day.
3. Food goes by quickly.
Food is somehow quickly absorbed by everyone in the house without second thoughts. I think it may be because mom isn't yelling at you to not eat the quesadilla at 11 o'clock at night or eating cake for breakfast.
4. Cooking is time consuming and messy.
When mom cooks, she somehow knows how to keep the counters clean, the stove flawless and the oven spotless, but when you try and do the same thing as her, even if you've seen her do it a million times, you always seem to get a little egg on the counter, butter on the stove and cheese everywhere in the oven.
5. But home-cooked meals made on your own are extremely satisfying.
Being able to cook something on your own just makes you feel like you won't starve one day when you aren't at home anymore. The extra treat is when you make something at home by yourself and it tastes super good, then you really know you won't starve.
6. The plants need constant attention and care.
Plants don't talk or bark like people or dogs, but they sure need as much attention or more. When the sun is beating down on them for eight or more hours, they'll need a long watering, weeding and a lot of care to make sure they don't wilt away. Don't forget they are your mother's pride and joy of her home as well!
7. Multitasking gives you more time to do things.
When you feel like you don't have enough time to do everything, you learn how to water the plants while cooking something in the oven and somehow making sure your dog gets enough exercise for the day. The hardest part is remembering how much time you have left for your food that's in the oven, last thing that needs to happen is have the house catch on fire!
8. Driving to and from work is your "alone time"
When mom leaves her car for you to use, you feel like it's a blessing. You get 20 to 30 minutes to yourself to drive as fast as you want (legally) and to blast your music as loud as you want while screaming every lyric out loud to yourself.
9. Getting mail and paying bills are both exciting and scary.
When mom leaves you the responsibilities to make sure her bills are paid on time, you sort of panic because you don't want to be the one who makes your mom late on one specific bill that she has paid on time her whole life.
10. Gas for the car goes by quickly the more things you do.
Having the car means you have total freedom...as long as you put enough gas into the car. The last thing you need is getting stuck on the high way going to see your friend and needing to call for rescue! Gas can go by so quickly and can actually be super expensive when you keep needing to fill up.
11. Taking care of younger family members is your main priority.
When mom is gone, you definitely feel like you've inherited the biggest responsibility of your life: keeping your siblings alive and well. Sometimes you can even feel like you're a single parent who just needs a good nap and some coffee to keep on going.
12. You're so busy that cleaning and organizing doesn't happen until late at night.
With work, eating, cooking, watering the plants, doing the dishes, doing the laundry and making sure your house doesn't burn down, you sort of forget to pick up the trash off the floor or to clean the counters in the kitchen. When 11 o'clock comes around, you finally realize that the house resembles a colorful explosion.
13. You're always tired.
Being a super star and wanting to do everything humanly possible, you forget to get a good night's sleep sometimes. You might even catch yourself falling asleep while watching your favorite show or talking on the phone with your best friend. Warning: make sure you block out some time for a good nap or two during your day.
14. Money is spent quickly and carefully.
Having money is nice and when mom gives you a set budget you can spend while you're gone, you feel like your rich. But little do you know, you might end up spending too much in one night and regret it. Money needs to be spent carefully, giving you a challenge with self control.
15. You miss your mom and are grateful for the things she does for you.
Near or far, she'll always be your mom and you will miss the things she does for you. Little do you know, mom's have the hardest job there is out there and you have to be grateful to her for working so hard to give you the best opportunity at life.
