Old Time Faves

My hubby and I are watching the movie, "Get Smart." Well we were watching it until I fell asleep. He is still watching it but I decided that I will have to finish it later as I have missed a good chunk of it now.

When I was in elementary school I loved watching all the old shows on Nick at Nite. Get Smart, Dragnet, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, (hubby is sleeping now!) The Donna Reed Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Leave it to Beaver, Green Acres, Lassie... I'm pretty sure my mom didn't like Get Smart(because Maxwell Smart was an airhead), but she loved I love Lucy. Her favorite episodes were the ones with the grape stomping and the chocolate factory.

I loved the simplicity of those shows and wished I could live in those times. As I look back now after not watching most of those shows in ten or more years, I long for those times that I have never experienced. I wish I could raise my kids in a slower paced society. I have often felt rushed and I have made it a point to try and slow down. I try to hit my daily schedule as often as possible, but on a day when we are out and about, running errands or having fun, I try to loosen up. I try to pack our lunches for a picnic as often as possible, have extra clothes, diapers, and other supplies on hand so we don't have to make any unnecessary expenses or go home prematurely.

Most of those old shows had their fair share of hardships, Mary Tyler Moore was a single career woman(ground breaking storyline for that time), Mike Brady was a widower, Carol Brady was a widow, The Partridge Family was raised by a single mom... But times were slow and simple. Husbands, when there was one, worked all day and provided for their family, wives raised the children, the children played outside, went to school and helped set the table for dinner.

Now that I am married and am raising a family, I know more and more people who are striving for these old time ideals which is comforting. But I also know plenty of people who simply can't raise their families on one income, times are tough and life is expensive. My husband and I have made many sacrifices for me to stay home and raise our kids. Sometimes I want to throw our budget out the window because it is so tight. But not a day goes by when I am not grateful to God for providing all of our needs and allowing me to stay home with my children.

So the next time I'm feeling a little blue, maybe I will put on a little I Love Lucy for some comedic relief to lighten the load on a dreary day, and maybe mom will be watching with me.