The No More Housework Rule

My aunt, Virginia Beadle was one of the sweetest, most kindhearted people I ever knew. She had a quiet voice that spoke volumes. It wasn’t that she spoke so softly that you couldn’t hear, although she did speak softly. Rather, it was the gentleness of her voice. I think that is what people mean when they say “soft-spoken.” A gentle voice that speaks volumes, and that is what Aunt Virginia had.

Aunt Virginia was an industrious person. She didn’t particularly care for housework and other domestic chores, and one time when her older sister, Evelyn Hushman was allowed to sleep in, because she had been babysitting the fussy baby all night, Aunt Virginia got the idea to ask, “So then if I have a job, you are saying that I won’t have to do housework either?” Well, Grandma Byer, her mom probably didn’t consider the ramifications of her answer, but she told her, “No, you wouldn’t.” With that weapon I. Her arsenal, Aunt Virginia went out and got a job. She had one from that time on, until her retirement. Of course, she also learned that when she got her own home, the “no more housework rule” would go out the window. As a child, you can sometimes get out of housework by getting a job, but when the house is yours and your kids are little, the housework is up to you. Nevertheless, Grandma, being a woman if her word, stood by the words she had spoken that  day.

Aunt Virginia enjoyed her job over the years, and it gave her the opportunity to wear nice clothes and be around interesting people. I don’t know if she ever grew to like housework, but she was good at her jobs and she was a snappy dresser too. I was always very impressed by the way Aunt  Virginia looked and how successful she was. I suppose everyone has different ideas about things. And for anyone who wants to be a stay-at-home mom, getting a job might not be a great thing, but Aunt Virginia saw it as a way of escaping the housework she didn’t like, and no having her mom mad at her. The money she made also helped her to have the things she wanted, and saved Grandma and Grandpa from having to buy them.  It was a win-win of sets, except that Grandma lost some of the housework help. Today would have been Aunt Virginia’s 93rd birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Virginia. We love and miss you very much.