Happy Birthday Emery & Thoughts on Ironing

Today is Emery's 60th Birthday. He doesn't look that old, doesn't act that old and its hard to believe he is that old !
When I got up this morning, Emery was out working in the garden, pulling weeds, tilling rows with a shovel. I asked him what he was doing on his birthday working and he good naturedly laughed and told me he was doing just what he loves to do, work in the garden. By the time he came in, I had a nice big breakfast ready for him. This evening we will have his little birthday party.
Later, he was tinkering around his shop, planning a new project. This man of mine is always doing something, never just sitting down watching TV or being lazy. He does enjoy reading now and again though. Never novels, always books with facts like populations of different nations or weather statistics.
While he was off measuring walls in the living room, I was ironing his shirts. I did 10 of them today. He has never worn tee shirts or casual shirts, always wears a dress shirt. Even to do garden work. Emery is a very prim and proper man and I love that about him.
As I was ironing, I thought some about how the issue of what women take pride in has changed dramatically over the past 5 decades.
My mother smocked all our little girl dresses, she could take pride in her skill in making gorgeous children's clothes. My grandmother could look at a dress in a magazine and make a pattern for the exact dress. Delicate knitting on tiny needles and fine crochet work were items to be talked over and admired. Good recipes, food made from scratch were things to be proud of. Who made a good cup of coffee or a delightful pot of tea and set a fine table were things to strive to be the best at. Whose husbands looked crisp and fresh as they went off to work, was another area of pride for a woman. Well mannered children caused parents to beam with pride.
Now we seem to take pride in possessions and not accomplishments. Perhaps that is why so many feel unfulfilled in life.
I was talking to a young mother not long ago and mentioned my need to iron. She told me she had no time to iron as she has young children. I had to stifle a laugh. When my children were small, I ironed everything, including undergarments, and the bed linens ! The boys wore only dress shirts as young lads, 2 a day. One for school and one for play and believe me they were never able to be worn twice. Boys get dirty ! That meant I ironed 28 shirts a week for the two of them and another 7 or so for my husband, along with the dresses the girls and I wore daily.
I had time to iron with children home. I made time.

My husband always thanks me for ironing his shirts, its not his demand that I do them, its just something I have always done from the first week of our marriage. Like wash the dishes, and cook the meals, its just another household responsibility. I can take feel good in knowing he is going to look freshly pressed all the time.
Its nice to hear someone tell me, "your husband always looks so nice and neat." Its something I can take pride in. There are other things to feel pride in and this is not meant to stir up some woman's lib conversation. Its just me looking back at days gone by, wanting to reclaim some of the good things we have lost with the changing times. Pride in accomplishments rather than in possessions !