Over the hedge

AS A SINGLE mother of two sons, who was teaching school and attending graduate school at night, it was often difficult to be involved in all the activities of these active boys.

Still, even with our busy schedule, we were a close-knit family who supported one another. Regular family meetings, good cooperation with a list of shared chores, and an organized schedule kept us in check.

In those early days it was not unusual to be served breakfast in bed on Mother's Day with a gift of bubble bath or carefully lettered vouchers for "free without grumbling" car washes, lawn mowing, or bedroom cleanups.

But you can imagine what a delightful surprise it was some years later to receive a Father's Day card from these now young adult sons living far from home.

Inside this card was a message of thanks for years of support for them while they participated in Boy Scouts, ski trips, soccer games, built model rockets together, went on camping trips and even a canoeing adventure to Minnesota's Boundary Waters.

Lucy Posgate Beers