This first painting brought back so vividly my memories of those days when a bath was not a taken for granted ritual  which required only the turning on of taps and time spent luxuriating in a tub filled with  bubbly water. The painting depicts exactly what a chore the preparation for that event actually was back in the days when I was about the size of the children above. The reservoir of the huge kitchen stove was our source of hot water in those days and a galvanized laundry tub our bathing vessel. That reservoir held only so much hot water so the bath times were by necessity of short duration and if the stove was running low on wood frequently the ritual required taking turns in a rather speedy manner to assure that the one being unfortunate enough to  be second in line was not  forced to face a chilly dipping. And 'dipping' it was if the lucky one getting there first had dallied a little too long!

Of course Grandpa did try to make sure the wood supply was on hand all chopped and ready to allow for the quick heating of fresh water but in inclement weather, or when he had other more important chores requiring his attention, that was not always an option. The water kettle and several cooking pots could be called into play but their capacity fell far short of that of the trusty reservoir.

However, what I remember most is Grandma's exasperation as we bickered over who was going to be first ! Her day had already been too long and filled with too many chores to be in a frame of mind to consider this to be of prime importance. Her priority was seeing we were clean before donning our night gowns or pyjamas and  then seeing us trundle off to bed  so her day could finally come to an end and she could relax. We must have been more than a little trouble at times to a woman who had every right to think she had already done her stint at raising little ones and yet that wonderful lady never ever made us feel as if we were a bother. Oh, make no mistake ... she let us know that  she would brook no nonsense but always in a firm but loving manner. Grandpa was usually the easy one. He left the discipline to her unless we had really been naughty and the case was referred to a higher authority. Needless to say, we avoided that eventuality if at all possible !

 How we take our modern conveniences of today for granted ! Our lives are so much easier than they were for our parents and grandparents when we were children and yet the conveniences have come at such a high price. The parent today faces so many different but I believe infinitely more difficult choices. Today, supporting  the average family requires that both parents  contribute financially and now instead of heating water in a reservoir for bath time the problem is finding the time to look after those family chores once the work day outside the home is over. By the time bath time rolls around Mommy is already so exhausted and still has so many duties to attend to before her day can come to an end that  it is too often an ordeal she would prefer to not have to face. In retrospect in my humble opinion, bath time in front of the old kitchen stove is definitely  more appealing and more conducive to family harmony.

The next leg of the journey, again brought to mind by Tricia Romance's wonderful paintings is the happiness each morning felt by a young mother upon entering the baby's room to see how very pleased her little one was to  greet her arrival. Never have I been made to feel more welcome than on those long ago mornings nor have I ever since started a day with such a happy heart.

The smile and happy anticipation on that dear face was a joy to behold. Beaming from ear to ear and bouncing with eagerness to begin the new day after a long night's sleep and now Mommy is finally here !  Of course the precious wee boy was hungry and raring to go but all I remember is the welcome and how it always made my morning begin with a feeling of such love and happiness that this wee being needed me so very much and was as happy to see me as I was to see him.

In those early days thank goodness I was lucky enough to be able to spend that  'together  time' each morning  with my wee guy without having to race the clock to get  all the morning chores finished, rush him through his breakfast, and prepared for a day at a baby sitter or day care centre as so many young working  mothers must do nowadays. I was fortunate enough that I was able to spend that quality time with him and to allow the day to begin at a leisurely pace for both of us. Only in later years did the necessity to  hold down a job away from home become a part of our schedule. By that time he had reached the stage where he didn't  want his day beginning too early and  where getting him up was a major effort each morning and one which fell far short in the warmth of the welcome ! I much preferred the timetable of the early riser who was so eager for the day to begin.

The days of bathing by the old kitchen stove were only a fond memory by the time I was a Mommy and the modern conveniences were a taken for granted part of our home of course but bath time was still a happy time we could share, until my child reached the age where privacy became  a very real necessity. "Yes Mom,  I'll call you when I'm ready for you to wash my back but shut the door on your way out please."  A natural progression  but one which did cause momentary twinges of sadness that the days when Mommy could share in the fun of the bath were past. Our children grow up too darn fast. One day they are so tiny and cuddly and all yours and before you can even turn around it seems they are independent creatures with  priorities and vistas reaching beyond the close loving circle of their Mommy's arms.

Mommy's arms are always there of course, and they know that, but there are so many more interesting things to explore right now. 'We'll spend time with Mom later'. Through the years to come there will be times when those arms are needed and welcome but the closeness is never quite the same as in those very early years when your child is so very dependent on you for all their needs. The move to independence is as it should be of course, and if you have done your job well they will take those steps willingly and with an eagerness to explore new places and  experiences but always you will cherish those days when you were the centre of your child's world. Perhaps that is a Mother's reward ... the memories that time or life's events cannot take away from you. They remain yours as long as you are capable of remembering.

Life does  give us another chance of course  to share in the wonder of  little children when we become grandparents  and needless to say grandchildren are a priceless treasure whose lives, if we are very lucky, we are allowed to share for that brief time until they too venture forth to explore and discover, but never with the closeness of those early years with your own child or children. That special closeness belongs to their mother and father exactly as it should.

My life's journey has had it's fair share of bumps and rough spots at times throughout the years but it's a journey that has also given me more happiness than anything I could ever have hoped for or even imagined. Good and bad, all a part of  a pretty fantastic trip and one I am eternally grateful to have been blessed to share with those I have loved along the way.

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