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My Mother Sweeps Her Driveway
She’s over 80 years old, but she’s still “house proud”
My mother was raised in India. According to her, every morning her mother swept her front doorway and the path in front of her house, and rinsed the area with water.
Even after grandmother hired a part time woman to do most of the cleaning and the laundry, she still swept her own steps.
When my mother moved to New York City, she continued to sweep her front door steps and the back patio area. So did the other neighborhood women, most of whom were also immigrants, though from different areas — some came from Greece, some from Pakistan, some from Ireland or South America.
Their background didn’t seem to matter — they all took care of their front steps.
They also kept an eye out for their children. If someone’s child was being a bully, stern words were said and the kids shaped up. The ultimate threat? The father would be involved.
Now my 83 year-old mother lives with me. She still sweeps the steps.
I have made half-hearted attempts to take over the task over the years and she’s laughed me off. Though occasionally I’ve done it just to show I can.
Mom doesn’t sweep every day anymore, however. She often only does it a couple of times a week now. But when she does, she…
