Louise and Ivory Soap

When I was a little boy, my Mom and Dad hired a lady named Louise to take care of me until they got home from work. Louise was a kind, loving lady who watched over us, cooked our meals, and gave us our baths. She was a stickler about cleanliness, and when we were dragging around in attempts to extend our playtime and delay our baths, she would always quote, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” summing up the whole 15th chapter of Leviticus in one clear sentence.

   We learned quickly to scrub until we were sure we were spotless. Failure to do so put the soap and the rag in the hands of Louise who would begin her “scrubbing” with, “Come back over here. Ain’t no little boys of mine going to have dirt behind their ears.” We learned a lot from Louise including wash your hands, say please and thank you, take turns, and how to play mumble-peg. The thing we most remember is the ivory soap floating in the tub, knowing if we did not use it well, Louise would.

   In our world today, we need more like Louise, making sure we are scrubbing ourselves clean not simply for our own good but for the good of those around us.

   Several years ago, Patsy-Coe and I went back to Goodwater one Christmas and found Louise. I was glad to see her, and she was delighted to see me. She had even more stories to tell than I did. We visited and departed in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving. I never saw Louise again but, until this day, I remember.

“Now ya’ll make sure you scrub real good; them germs ain’t good for you.” 

          Thanks, Louise, for the scrubbings. We could all use some now.  

Blessings,

Brother Mike Densmore