The ‘Nest Keepers’

Warning: a sentimental story 

mother-1951 Growing up, our household had a dishwasher in the kitchen.  It was the ‘mother’ brand and came with two strong hands for scrubbing and two strong legs for moving from table to counter to sink. The original model came with a towel for drying but later ones added a special feature, ‘children’, which, amazingly, dried dishes on command.

We were fortunate in our neighborhood of blue-collar workers to have a handyman available 24-7 to build, fix, remodel and paint. It was the ‘father’ brand and came with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee.   I learned a few things about fixing stuff from that man by watching him work and being a good person by listening to his unsolicited advice.

My older sister and I were the youngest of seven siblings and by the time we came along, the first five were leaving the nest, giving our folks a bit more leisure time for us. We were spoiled and loved every minute of it.

dad-1957  She and I were driven places by our own ‘chauffeur’, an older, kindly and dedicated gentleman from the ‘daddy’ livery service. He lived with us and knew our likes and dislikes like the back-of-his-hand, which he only used to steer the car.

And did we ever go places, generally not far from home, but so special that I still see them clearly in my mind these many years later.

We’ll never forget the delicious ‘dawgs’ at ‘Hot Dog Annies’ somewhere in the country. On hot summer nights, we were treated to the  area’s best ice cream variety from ‘Pinecroft Dairy’. Mother Nature showed off her splendor during our slow drives by the pristine ‘Wachusett reservoir’ or at local ponds where our ‘chauffeur’ taught us to fish and appreciate the evening sound of a whippoorwill.

I would be remiss not to mention the support we received from the financiers of the ‘Mom & Pop’ bank for our higher education needs.  In return, the only interest we paid was our interest in them as they expected nothing from us but our best efforts. We tried.

Yes, we were lucky, some would say blessed to have those special amenities while growing up and learning to take our place at Life’s table. The ‘dishwasher’, the ‘handyman’, the ‘chauffeur’ and the ‘bankers’ have long since gone, but their lessons endure and influence who we are today. I’m sure we have passed on some of their wisdom and values to our own children.  How simply happy they would be knowing that this is their legacy.  Maybe they do.

MomDad

Steve
srbottch.com

To my beautiful sister, June, and our precious parents, bless their souls.

Published by

srbottch

Retired in 2013 after 5 years as an elementary school teacher and 40 years as a sales representative to begin anew as a school crossing guard. SMy essays/stories are a way to communicate through the telling of personal experiences. One reader said about my blog stories, "...these are like a cold sip during a marathon run, simple, real life events". Another offered about my blog, “it brings some sense of normalcy not easily found in the modern world.”

24 thoughts on “The ‘Nest Keepers’”

  1. This is a warning from your older sister…..”It’s a known fact that it’s not good to go to bed with a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes”.  Even if they’re from flashbacks of a simpler but joyous time in one’s memory.  Your “unfolding scenes from our childhood” bring to my mind the refrain from one of my favorite hymns,  Precious Memories.  PRECIOUS MEMORIES, HOW THEY LINGER, HOW THEY EVER FLOOD MY SOUL.  IN THE STILLNESS OF THE MIDNIGHT, PRECIOUS, SACRED SCENES UNFOLD.  That is what these memories are to you and me….SACRED.   Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  😚   Pleasant dreams

    Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S® 6, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I knew you’d like it. Thanks for the nice words. A few years ago, I drove by the reservoir when I was in the area on business. It’s still just as beautiful and brought back wonderful memories. ❤️

      Like

      Reply

      1. It does for sûre.But you wrote here one of your best stories..Si nice way To describe things.
        By the way I was unable to enlarge your pictures ?

        Like

  8. Très touché par cette belle histoire.
    Moi aussi je suis redevable à mes parents adoptifs..
    J’ai eu uneenfance heureuse.
    Qu’en sera-t-il des enfants de nos enfants.
    Les vraies valeurs ont disparues
    God bless you all.
    Cuddle to mrs Daisy

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Merci, X. I was so happy to see your wonderful message. And I learned something new about you. As with you, I had a very happy childhood, growing up in a working. Lads neighborhood. My parents were wonderful. And my dad was as nice to other children in our neighborhood as he was to me, imparting his wisdom as dads are wont to do. Like you, I have the same wonders about our own children and their children. The world seems to have lost its innocence, again. We can only hope and pray for them and children around the globe. Have a wonderful day, my good friend.

      Like

      Reply

    2. X, my sister loved this story and sent this from one of her favorite hymns, Precious Memories: PRECIOUS MEMORIES, HOW THEY LINGER, HOW THEY EVER FLOOD MY SOUL.  IN THE STILLNESS OF THE MIDNIGHT, PRECIOUS, SACRED SCENES UNFOLD.

      Like

      Reply

  9. June, I just reread your comment and I should have mentioned it earlier. It’s a beautiful sentiment. The words from the hymn reflect our minds exactly. I hope you’re having a wonderful day. Love, Stephen.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment