The essay “My Mother Never Worked” by Bonnie Smith-Yackel explores the challenges her mother encountered while managing the farm and caring for her family, along with the knowledge she gained from interacting with the Social Security office. The story commences with Smith-Yackel engaging in a conversation with a social worker as she endeavours to acquire information about her mother’s death-benefit payment.
The social worker holds Smith-Yackel while she reflects on her mother’s life. Her mother and father were wed in February 1921, and their first child arrived in January 1922. Being farmers, Smith-Yackel’s parents shared household duties such as cooking, cleaning, and tending to the farm. Additionally, her mother skillfully sewed rugs and clothes, dedicating herself fully to her home responsibilities. Despite not holding a conventional job in a business or corporation, her work at home was akin to a full-time job. In 1936, Smith-Yackel’s mother unfortunately suffered a miscarriage during the sixth month of her pregnancy.
At the age of 44 in 1941, Smith-Yackel’s mother gave birth to her seventh child, making a total of seven siblings. However, it wasn’t until 1959 that the youngest sibling finished High School. Despite having eight children, Smith-Yackel’s mother successfully managed their farm and household chores.
In 1960, they decided to sell their cows but kept the chickens and ducks for plucking feathers. These feathers were then used for pillow-making purposes. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 1969 when Bonnie’s parents got into a car accident while on their way to buy sugar. This incident left her mother paralyzed from the waist down.
Sadly, a year later, Bonnie’s father passed away, leaving her mother to face challenges alone. Eventually, her mother entered rehabilitation to learn how to navigate life in a wheelchair.
During her mother’s rehab, the therapist remarked on her mother’s strength, proudly stating “she did fifteen pushups today- fifteen! I’ve never known a woman so strong!” (par 23). Meanwhile, the social worker interrupts her phone call and delivers the disappointing news that her mother is not eligible for a $255 death benefit check due to her lack of employment history. I appreciated how Bonnie Smith-Yackel skillfully included various specific details, such as dates and events, to highlight the tireless efforts her mother put in over the years. By employing a flashback technique, Smith-Yackel effectively narrates her story while on the phone.
In the midst of a phone call with Social Security, Smith-Yackel begins to reflect on her mother’s life, sending us back in time as she waits on hold. Smith-Yackel places great importance on specific dates and her mother’s age. For instance, she shares, “Their first baby, a daughter, was born in January 1922, when my mother was twenty-six years old” (par 13). She skillfully narrates the events, making the reader feel present and enabling them to follow the timeline.
Although I found this essay enjoyable, I have conflicting emotions about it. Some elements captured my interest, like the author reaching out to Social Security for her mother’s death benefits even though her mother never held a legitimate job. Nevertheless, besides that aspect, I derived pleasure from reading the essay. Being someone passionate about history, I especially valued the incorporation of dates as they enhanced my ability to imagine the time period more vividly.
It is intriguing to consider the challenges she faced in taking care of her family, given that she had eight children. It was common at that time for families to be of such a large size. I find it amusing how she talks about her mother’s responsibilities of managing both the household and farm, almost like a full-time job. However, because she never had an official job, she cannot receive death benefit payments. All in all, I really enjoyed this essay and would recommend it to other readers.
