For some reason I’ve had the chorus to a Kenny Rogers' song going through my head today, “know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run,” and as I listened to this on replay in my head over and over I got to thinking. Doesn’t every mom need to know things like that? It’s like a required listening song for moms!
I mean, for example, you have to know when to hold your child, (there are definitely times when they don’t want to be held. Like when they’re about thirteen and you’re anywhere near their friends.) You have to know when to fold (laundry, for instance, and when to make the kids do it so they learn responsibility and all.) You can also fold when it comes to bending the rules (like curfew) a bit for special occasions because then you seem like an understanding parent, that sort of thing. You have to know when to walk away (from looking at rooms that aren’t clean, from arguments, from crankiness) and know when to run (that is self-explanatory. Every mom out there would know that one!)
It’s like Kenny had a little secret message of answers moms should know that I didn’t know he knew. (Sort of like when you used to play the record backwards for a secret message. Of course, if you don’t know what a record is, that won’t make sense. And yes, I’m old enough to remember stuff like that.)
But even with all the things I’m supposed to know as a mom, situations always come up where I don’t have the answers. Maybe it’s because I haven’t listened to Kenny Rogers’ songs for most of my life and he’s had all the answers all along.
So, Kenny, if you’re reading this, I’m going to go to iTunes today and download some of your songs. For the answers and insights you’ve obviously already provided with your music, this mom thanks you.
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
6 comments:
Hahahaha! This is awesome. Of course, too often, I run away from folding 'em . . . socks, that is.
So strange and yet so true. And here I thought his secret message was that chicken tastes good and that no one can compete with the Colonel.
Well, I personally would go more for Devo's secret message to moms which is "whip it ... whip it good" but I haven't been able to find my riding crop since I had kids, so sadly, the only things that got whipped in our house was the cream. And every time I try to convince the boys that our family motto is "Your mother's rule is mean and cruel," they either run away laughing or they try to hug me to death while saying, "You're nice and loving ... nice and loving ... can I have some chocolate?"
I remember vinyl records albums. We still have some, just don't have a record player any longer.
I'm sure Kenny wasn't just singing about playing cards. He was talking about life. And we mothers are in the thick of life.
That Kenny, secret sage he is :-)
And we have a ton of records at our house, can't bring myself to throw them away :-)
Stephanie, you and me both!
Michael, oh man, that made me laugh! Although I did love both styles of chicken.
Melanie, I seriously want to cross-stitch that into a pillow or something. "Your mother's rule is mean and cruel." Haha!
Deb and Sarah, we still have a large record collection and a working record player! (Should I admit that?) One of these days we'll do something awesome with that, I know it. :)
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