The Old-Time Family
The burdens they are bearing, with a child or two to raise.
Of course the cost of living has gone soaring to the sky
And our kids are wearing garments that my parents couldn’t buy.
Now my father wasn’t wealthy, but I never heard him squeal
Because eight of us were sitting at the table every meal.
People fancy. they are martyrs if their children number three,
And four or five they reckon makes a large-sized family.
A dozen hungry youngsters at a table I have seen
And their daddy didn’t grumble when they licked the platter clean.
Oh, I wonder how these mothers and these fathers up-to-date
Would like the job of buying little shoes for seven or eight.
We were eight around the table in those happy days back them,
Eight that cleaned our plates of pot-pie and then passed them up again;
Eight that needed shoes and stockings, eight to wash and put to bed,
And with mighty little money in the purse, as I have said,
But with all the care we brought them, and through all the days of stress,
I never heard my father or my mother wish for less.
-Edgar Guest
{my sweet son, planting a future tree from a seed he found under our maple tree;
“How old will I be, mommy, when the tree grows big enough for me to climb?”}
“How do you feed all those children?”
“Your grocery bill must be astounding!”
“You don’t see families this size anymore…”
Whether or not we like it, our family does attract some attention whenever we go out into public. We try to avoid stares from others – we park far away from the store so people will not notice 12 people hopping out of the family bus, for example. Sometimes the comments are negative, sometimes they are positive. Sometimes they are just curious and wonder WHY do we have so many children; and of course, the next question is … how we can afford it?
Yes, the cost of living is so high right now. What does that mean for our family of 12?
{My geese may look cute, but they can chase me very quickly from the laundry line
with a threatened peck and bite on my legs!
One must watch out!}
It means more baseball games played at home for free in the field.
It means no eating out for dinner, unless a very, very special occasion calls for such a treat.
It means not travelling and creating our home a comfortable and cozy space and getaway all in one.
It means more family time at the beach … we have one of the most beautiful beaches right at our fingertips!
It means raising our own meat and working hard to take care of the animals.
It means growing a large family vegetable garden – and weeding that garden, even if it’s hot and tiring.
It means finding creative ways to enjoy our life, even if our life does not compare to others.
We are an old fashioned family, that is true. We weed our gardens … we raise chickens … we have early bedtimes and early rising times … we go to Church on Sundays …. we use a laundry line … we go together as a family for ice cream … we eat dinners together every night … our children play together and are not taken to many extra curricular activities …
But this, my friends, is a fantastic life. I don’t think my children even notice if they are not wearing the latest fashion or attending the popular events of society.
On our road, our neighbour called us “that ultra-religious family” …. well, I’m not quite sure how ultra religious we are – but we do sincerely love the Lord. I suppose that makes us strange and old fashioned in a world that has turned its back on The Creator. If this is an old fashioned life, then I feel sorry for those who are missing out.
{The glory of May – a beautiful cherry tree in front of our home}
If the cost of living is high right now in our society, it is still worth it to raise this family for the Lord.
In fact, I think it’s priceless.
by Gigi
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