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Stand-In Mom
Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Every kid likes to come home from school in the afternoon to find a yummy snack waiting on the kitchen table or countertop. After working all day on academics and dealing with the social pressures and frustrations associated with going to school, a warm welcome and a tasty snack can make the troubles of the outside world melt away.

When I was growing up, I was fortunate to have a mom who stayed home with my brother and me, and only worked part time once we went to school. She was home nearly every afternoon when we arrived home from school and it was nice to come in to find something to eat and relax on the couch in front of the TV for a bit. My mom was always good about keeping the refrigerator full of healthy snacks: either glasses of ice water filled with cut carrots and celery, a plate full of oreos, or a bowl of cool, red jello. But sometimes even the best of moms - the June Cleaver types - get distracted and have other things to do besides welcome their weary children at the door when the school bus drops them off. There were times when I found my mom on the phone and the only thing in the refrigerator was the left-overs of dinner from the night before.

But there was one week during my sixth-grade year when I truly felt like I was living with June Cleaver or Harriet Nelson. My parents went away for a week and in their place, they left our good friends, Lucy and George. Lucy and George had been our friends for years and were like a favorite aunt and uncle. They were in their late 40s and had no children of their own. They loved to play board games, cards, and countless other things enjoyed by pre-teen kids.

That week, Lucy got to play mom with my brother and me, and she treated us to the most amazing foods. When we came home from school one day we found home-made 7-layer bars; decadent treats made with coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crackers, butter, and Eagle brand milk. With the 7-layer bars we were both given a tall, frosty glass of milk. It was such a treat, not only to have the yummy snack, but to have Lucy standing there in her apron, smiling at us, enjoying watching us enjoy the treats she has so lovingly made. She was not distracted, as our mother often was, by the telephone, bills to pay, part time jobs to deal with, and of course, household chores. Lucy was on vacation and we were her fun. It was just like in the movies or on TV - she was the perfect, quintessential mom.

The next day and in the days the followed, Lucy met us at the door each day with a smile and another plate of home-baked treats. There were fancy plates of cheese and crackers, bowls of hot buttered popcorn, and always something moist and chocolately. During that week we didn't even think to turn on the television. With Lucy around, we had constant entertainment and there was always something fun to do. She was always ready with a game or project.

I still keep in touch with Lucy today and recently she told me that during that week, my brother and I told her that she should teach our mother how to cook. Thankfully she didn't heed our advice. Our poor mom; as a mom now, I can only imagine how that would have made her feel.

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