Apr 22 2003
Duty
My Dad used to say:
“The feeling that we treasure
That we treasure beyond measure
Is the satisfying feeling
That our duty has been done.”
Now, I’m assuming this is a quote from somewhere, though I don’t know where. I used to get it as a child when being recalcitrant about doing homework or chores or other boring/annoying yet necessary things that had to be done. It still pops into my head when faced with the b/a, even now. Today, it’s the impending visit to my mother on Saturday.
Mom called me today to tell me that I will have to do the following things during my visit:
- Vacuum her apartment. Even though I pointed out that I don’t even vacuum my own apartment.
- Wash her quilt, which she can’t lift into the washer (and I’m assuming anything else that’s lying around).
- Go to the feed store and get cat food.
- Walk the dog, at least twice.
- Go over the information she got from Social Security about her medical coverage, even though both of my sisters have seen it and they both say everything’s in order.
- Move her bookcases.
- Find somewhere to get fertilizer and snail killer for her garden.
If that’s all, I’m lucky, I guess.
The thing is, even as a kid, I never found doing my duty particularly satisfying, though I never had the nerve to admit it, even to my Dad. And I don’t find doing it now any more satisfying than I did then.
But you all can laugh, picturing me being Suzy Housekeeper for a day!