The World Stops Without Yvonne

I was talking to some parents and teachers outside the school yesterday afternoon during bus duty and I was alarmed at what one of the women had to say. She was complaining about one of the mothers (a conversation I normally bow out of) and how she �parades around in her SUV or her Minivan, running the little league, coaching the sports, leading the scouts, and chauffeuring everyone around while the rest of them had to work�

This alarmed me and I waited until she had found a way to get both of those feet in her mouth attached to her head so firmly planted in her backside until I said anything, but you know I did.

I told her that without people like Yvonne (and yes, I did use your name) graciously volunteering at all of our children�s activities or just making sure everyone has a ride to the activities and back home again our children would have nothing to do; they would have no childhood to speak of. Instead of ridiculing her, we should thank her instead of betraying our envy by gossiping about her generous nature, relative material comfort, and that she is blessed with the option of staying home with her children to be active in their lives.

Really, that is the problem that these people have: jealousy. While I am not denigrating people who leave their home to work, most people have to, I do not think we should go around mocking �soccer moms� (or track moms) because of their lives when they really contribute much more to the community than anyone realizes or stops to appreciate or recognize.

They could stay home all day and not help out at activities, they could just drive their child and leave yours behind. Most �soccer moms� I know have that SUV or Minivan so they could even take your children along with their own. Personally, I think it is great that they are so generous and too bad the rest of us are not.