That's What Mamas Do

Everyone’s mom is unique and special to their own family circumstances, however, there is a magical quality that all moms seem to share: they know everything. When we have questions about life and it’s many curiosities, we are so grateful for our mother’s omniscience. However, when we get into mischief, our mother’s all-knowing power can be what gets us grounded. Donald Davis’s mother takes an interesting approach to this by letting her sons cause trouble because “that’s what boys do” even though she’s fully aware of what they’re doing since “that’s what mama’s do.” To discover the method behind the madness, listen in to today’s episode, “That’s What Mama’s Do.” On today’s episode, enjoy the following: “Sarah” by Syd Lieberman from A Winner And Other Stories (11:05) Syd Lieberman, like many good tellers, knows that some of the best stories come from your own family and has told many stories centering around his children. However, he never had a story about his daughter, Sarah. She was just too sweet and untroublesome to have a story about her. But now, she’s entered a special stage of life where she’s caught between becoming a full-grown woman and still being a small child which brings many challenges as well as unique opportunities to build a bond that can last a lifetime. “That’s What Mama’s Do” by Donald Davis from That’s What Mama’s Do (18:15) Donald Davis is a southern storyteller who often used anecdotes during his twenty-five years as a preacher. Even though Donald is familiar with and loves all kinds of stories from all over the world, his favorite kinds to tell are ones from his own childhood. In this story, Donald recounts the many things he did throughout his boyhood to sneak about doing funny business and the mysterious way his mother seemed to always find out. “The Little Old Woman Who Hated Housework” by Margaret Read MacDonald from Fat Cat and Friends (11:00) Margaret Read MacDonald’s favorite kinds of tales to tell are old folktales that she breathes new life into, and this folktale is one that many people can relate to. Lots of people have that one chore that they just hate to do. Be it dishes, raking leaves, or cleaning their room, it always feels like a huge, miserable task. Well, that’s how the little old lady in today’s story feels about every chore. Thankfully some fairies will swoop in to help her out, although she may not want the help they offer.