Ironing

When I was in sixth grade my sister went off to college. That meant that the family ironing became my job! Ugh! Mom would call me in from playing with the neighbor kids to do the ironing. There were still three kids at home and Mom and Dad! In those days you sprinkled the clothes to get them damp and then you put them in the freezer to freeze them before ironing. I detested ironing.
When Gary and I were newly weds we had several spats over the issue of ironing. He was disappointed to get up and get ready only to find I had not ironed anything! One day I sat in Sunday School observing a young man whose clothes were disgustingly wrinkled. I decided right then and there that my husband would never go in public looking as though his wife did not love him!
I started ironing for him on a consistent basis. When the kids came along, I felt like I could not let them go in public looking like their mother did not love them. So, back to ironing for three kids and Mom and Dad! There was a time I actually kept up with all the ironing by racing against the dryer. I tried to get one load ironed before the next load dried in the dryer.
The kids are gone but I still iron for him. Often, I still think, "only because I love him!" I think he too is aware that his ironed clothes are there for him because I love him!