Content Immigrant and Native Mamas

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On a recent evening Ray was itching to go the Verizon store. They were having a buy one, get one free special, and loving technology as he does, he wanted to show me a new phone possibility.

I, on the other hand, am usually content with the technology I already know how to use. The Verizon store intimidates me because I am well aware when I go in there that I am a technology immigrant in a sea of technology natives.

I heard those terms recently and think they are spot on, to use a British term for just perfect. You young mamas are technology natives because you have grown up with it. We older-than-you-are mamas are technology immigrants. Isn’t that a great description?

When we headed out for our 30-minute drive to the Verizon store that evening, I grabbed my fuzzy white crochet yarn to continue working on our newest grandchild’s Christmas stocking I’m making to match the other ones that hang on our fireplace at Christmas.

I keep the apron Bethany made me a few years ago hanging on a square nail in our kitchen. Before we left, I put it on so the fuzzy yarn wouldn’t get all over my black leggings before we met our friends Garth and Terry for supper after our visit to Verizon. The night was chilly so I put a jacket on over the apron.

When we got to Verizon, I had a few more stitches to do before getting to a good stopping place; so I asked Ray to go on in and get in line while I finished those up. In short order, I hopped out of the car to join him.

I found Ray talking to the young salesman. Soon the salesman left to get some more information we needed. When he left, Ray said to me, “You have on your apron.”

I was mortified. Of course, I had intended to take the apron off when we got to the store. Here I am with my gray hair in the midst of all those young people and already feeling intimidated and then I find out I’m wearing a bib apron for crying out loud! I yanked off my jacket, untied the four apron strings, and stuffed the apron into my purse.

I’m reminded of a line from the original 1961 Parent Trap movie with Haley Mills when the twins’ grandfather (who wants his daughter to get back with her ex-husband) tells his daughter (who is about to go visit her ex-husband): “You know, Margaret, I’ve got to hand it to you for one thing. I’ve got to give you credit. It certainly shows strength of character not to go with the new fashion trends in clothes . . .” [He goes on to talk about her hairstyle . . . not changing] “. . . Stay the way you are: a nice, reliable, settled, comfortable woman who accepts the coming of age with grace and dignity.” The mother tells her dad that that is a terrible thing to say and hurries to New York to get a new young wardrobe and hairstyle before flying to California.

I am also reminded of a skit a group of us did for a Saturday Ladies’ Day at our church in Oxford, Mississippi, while Ray was serving as their campus minister and our kids were little bitty. In the skit, we acted out what it is like for women to be dissatisfied with the stage of life they are in, followed by scenes where women are content in each of those stages. We began with a young single woman and progressed through a woman’s life until the last skit was about an elderly one.

Oh, how much joy we miss when we don’t accept and relish and thrive in the amazing joys of right now! If the good Lord is willing, I’ll turn 63 this week. I love being 63 because that means I have wonderful memories of the years when our children were at home, an almost 42-year-history with the love of my life, grandchildren whom I adore (I was on the trampoline with two of them on Thanksgiving), and the opportunity to share with you that life gets better and better — if you stop and take time to notice.

This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

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