I Stand Here Ironing

I absolutely think these things could happen today. The variety of family situations and circumstances are as numerous as there are families. In other words each individual family has it’s own unique structure and family life. No two are the same. This leaves room for all kinds of possibilities. Unfortunately, because of poverty and single family units there is a great deal of these kind of struggles. The mother of this story speaks with so much love for her first born. (p. 283) “ She was a beautiful baby.” (p.284) “She blew shining bubbles of sound…She was a miracle to me….” This is, I will dare to say the way most mother’s feel toward their children no matter the circumstances. However, when life seems hard or dark, it is hard to see things in light as the story will go on to tell.
Times got hard indeed, so that the mother had to leave her with the neighbor whom she said “with the women downstairs…she was no miracle.” This passage referring to her baby, Emily. Later she had to leave her Emily with the father’s family. And yet later when she had her daughter again she had to leave her daughter in a place in which the teacher would say things to children like, “Why aren’t you outside, because Alvin hits you? That’s no reason, go out, scaredy.”(p.284) Emily would make excuses to stay home. I do not doubt for one second that there are many children who experience horrible day care situations today. Many things have changed, but while some change, many remain the same, or worsen. There are fine day cares now, but there are also many ragged. It is the poorest people and communities that suffer the most. That is how it has always been.
The mother considers that she may have not been exactly as she should have been. (p285) “…it was the face of joy, and not of care or tightness or worry I turned to them,-too late for Emily.” She is referring to her children born after Emily. However, it is the mothers consistency in describing her daughter in such a way that makes me feel that she truly loves her. (p.285) “Her face is closed and somber, but when she wants how fluid.” The mother like many mothers throughout time feels compelled to know her child, and wishes she could have done more for her.
Times continue to be hard. She sends her away a second time (p.285) and when Emily returns she has a new father. “…we left her alone nights, telling ourselves she was old enough.” “Can’t you go some other time, Mommy, like tomorrow?” she would say. I also do not doubt there are endless amounts of children being left unattended at a very young age. Emily later gets sick, and later goes off to a school at age 7. It is away from home again. She is not fond of this place either. (p.286) When talking of her friend from school she says, “They moved her to Rose Cottage…they don‘t like you to love anybody here.”
Emily seems to have a steady life of unfulfilling events. Yet in the end she finds a talent in being on stage and entertains people with her humor. The mother seems astounded that Emily has not only survived but actually seems a bit happy and bit prosperous. (p.288) One morning the mother receives a call from her daughter saying “Mother, I did it. I won, I won; they gave me first prize; they clapped and clapped and wouldn‘t let me go. (p.289) The mother’s final comment is, “…she is more than this dress on the ironing board, helpless before the iron.” Although people may endure numerous hardships in a lifetime, there is the possibility they will still come out shining. I think this is the point of the story and this reflects the past, present, and future as this statement will always hold true for certain people.