Sunbonnet Soliloquy

By Jewell Ellen Smith

My Philosophy of Parenting -- in 100 Words or Less

Some years ago the local branch of the 71 American Association of University Women assigned me the task of writing -- in 100 or less words -- the history of the celebrated Boll Weevil Monument which stands in the middle of the main street of Enterprise.

This brief historical piece was to be printed on the back of china plates that would be sold as a scholarship fund-raising endeavor. Well, I finally got the account of how the monument came into being and what it means boiled down ii to 99 words. And we sold hundreds of plates.

“In the early 1900’s when the Mexican Boll Weevil swept across the South, laying waste the cotton fields and the economy, planters in Southeast Alabama were forced to diversify their crops. The amazing result was prosperity. To Enterprise residents the Weevil seemed a blessing in disguise. So, in 1919 they built, in the middle of their main street, the world’s only monument glorifying a pest.

(There follows a picture of the Boll Weevil Monument, with the caption, “In profound appreciation of the Boll Weevil and what it has done as the Herald of Prosperity, this Monument was erected by the Citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama, December 11, 1919.”)

Just a few weeks ago I had another chance to do some “boiled down” writing. I was asked to compose an essay titled MY PHILOSOPHY OF PARENTING, in 100 words, or less.

Good gracious! After being a mother for 44 years, how could I possibly reduce my thoughts on the subject to 100 words, or less. But it was worth the try, as the essay was to be part of a resume’ submitted to the Alabama Mothers Association, to be read by the judges in the competition for the title “Alabama Mother of the Year, 1987.”

Here is the essay, titled according to instructions, MY PHILOSOPHY OF PARENTING:

“It is a wonderful thing to be a parent, to 1ove and be loved by a child. It is an awesome thing, too.

“The role of the parent is to nourish, protect and teach, to lead the child into adulthood.

“The duty of the parent is to instill in the heart of the child a deep and abiding faith in God and thus equip him to face life, to stand firm and not stagger.

“The time to teach -- about honesty, integrity, love, kindness -- is while the child is still in his mother’s arms.

“The way to teach is by example.”

If only I had been granted just 20 more words, I could have told how one mother became highly successful. That mother’s story goes like this -- in 20 words:

“The snail, by patience, perseverance, and prayers -- and with a bottle of sweet oil -- led her little ones to Jerusalem.”

What more can we say -- in only a few words?

This:

In any mother’s journey through life it is crucial that she take along a bottle of sweet oil. It is desirable for her to remember that what at the time seems a disaster for her children can turn out to be a boll weevil blessing in disguise.

Jewell became Alabama Mother of the Year for 1987. Published March, 1987. Click your browser’s ‘back’ button to return.