DEAR ABBY: My life has been a continuous learning experience. My mother-in-law used to give me gifts that were either cracked or broken. I was offended, but never said anything except "thank you." After her death we had to go through her things, and it was then that I realized that just about everything she owned was chipped or broken.
When one of my children had a falling-out with a friend, I, too, would be upset. But when I would see my child and the offending friend back together the next day, I learned to hold my tongue.
Most recently, a man ran a stop sign, rammed my car and left me with a broken back. From that I learned what a dim view insurance companies have of homemakers. When asked if I was losing time at work, I answered with an honest "yes." Then came the question, "What do you do?" When I replied that I am a housewife, I learned there was no coverage because what I do isn't considered "work." Thanks for listening. -– STILL LEARNING IN CAMP HILL, PA.
DEAR STILL LEARNING: Thank you for sharing some of the lessons you have learned at the University of Life. You might be interested to know that in 2006, Al Neuharth -– the esteemed founder of USA Today -– wrote a Mother's Day column on the value of stay-at-home moms. In it, he quoted job analysts at Salary.com, who said, "... the lowest-paying parts of a mom's job are housekeeper, laundry machine operator and janitor. Higher-paying categories include computer operator, facilities manager, psychologist and family CEO." He concluded by saying that stay-at-home moms work "an average of 91.6 hours a week ... worth $143,121 annually."
Of course, that was in 2006 –- when everything was cheaper.