Class Clown ‘89 :
When my dad was in the Navy, our whole family would transfer bases with him. We lived in family housing, so there were lots of kids around. For extra money, my mom would babysit. At one particular base, a female Captain had a young daughter, whom my mother watched from before school until the Mom/Navy Captain got home. We were enlisted kids; kinda like the poor kids but we never presented poor cuz my mom prioritized the family’s well being over material things. We ate very well. Anyway, the captain’s lil daughter, whose mother made a SIGNIFICANT amount of money more than my dad, always looked presentable and smelled great. Unfortunately, whenever she dropped her daughter off at our house in the AM, she came in filthy clothes and reeked of urine and hair was literally matted & tangled. My mom would bathe her and change her into some old clothes of mine and wash her clothes while the lil girl was at school. She got breakfast at our house every morning and great snacks after school with milk or juice. To say she thrived in my mom’s care, is an understatement. But because of the hierarchy in the military, my mom could not confront the girl’s mother, like she really wanted to, due to the fact my dad was the girl’s mom’s subordinate. Instead, after the first month of babysitting, my mom handed her a bill of all the things she did for the girl. When the Captain saw the list of everything my mom was doing, she paid my mom and the child came well dressed, clean and happier. The lil girl said her mommy was nice to her and she felt loved. I’m glad I got to see that. Compassion goes a long way most times. It’s crazy though how someone could prioritize themselves but not their only child.
2026-09-01 22:05:13