By Gina Stout of Stage Too

Thank you for all you do for me and for our family. You are dedicated, hard-working, and loyal. You do not complain or whine; you never try to get out of doing what I ask of you. For years you have cleaned up our messes, erased our mistakes, tried to make things like new again even though we were not so careful.

I don’t know what I am going to do without you in my life. I depend on you. I am not sure I can get through the week without you; I have never had to try before.

You are patient, never rushing me, never telling me to hurry up. You do not get irritated at my procrastination in picking up where you left off, creating more work for you.

You can be gentle when needed and at other times more harsh. You never make a mistake that is your fault, and when asked, you fix it to the best of your ability.

I have heard you groan under the weight of what I have asked of you. I have noticed you becoming worn out and slowing down, at times not as efficient at the task at hand. There are times when it takes twice as long, yet you power through.

You handle everything with such grace and dignity. You make it look so easy, yet there is no way I can do your job. You have held my girls since they came home from the hospital, welcoming them even though they are the reason you have to do so much now. You have let them climb all over you, held their drinks, their toys, anything they have put on you.

It is because of all these things that it makes me sad to see you go. You have been with us for so long, and you will never be forgotten. There will be others after you, but it won’t be the same. I realize you are tired, and although it pains me to admit it, it is time to let you go.

Goodbye, my sweet washing machine. May you rest in peace.

This post was originally published on Stage Too. 

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About the Author

Gina Stout is a working mom laughing at the absurd to keep herself from crying into a bag of cookies while pounding back coffee. Her writing has been featured on Sammiches & Psych Meds, Scary Mommy, Bon Bon Break, and Mamalode to name a few. You can laugh with or at her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or her website Stage Too. Take a look, you’ll like what you see.