Clinton Township Newsletter

3 j u n e 2 0 2 6 Early in our marriage — maybe a year or two in — I complained to my husband that I was carrying too much of the load because I was doing "this, this, this, and this." I honestly can't remember what was on my list anymore, but you can probably imagine it, because most of you are doing those same things every single day. He countered with his own list: "Oh yeah? Well I'm doing this, this, this, and this!" As I considered his figurative list alongside mine, I came to a surprising realization: I actually preferred my list to his. As far as I was concerned, that settled the matter for both of us, and from that point on, we stopped keeping score. Instead, we started thanking each other for all of those ordinary, everyday tasks that quietly keep a family running. Thank you for making such a great dinner. Thank you for mowing the lawn — it looks beautiful. Thank you for getting the kids where they needed to go — they had a wonderful time. Thank you for fixing that whatever-it-was — you saved us money. The workload itself didn't get any lighter, but gratitude made it much easier to carry. Even though I considered myself a "modern" woman, my husband and I naturally settled into fairly traditional roles early on and, after that conversation, I realized that was perfectly okay. Running a household and raising a family takes an enormous amount of work — physically, emotionally, and financially. More than anything, it requires two people who can function as a team, something I suspect many fathers understand just as well as many mothers do. I organized most of the kids' social lives while he handled the taxes. I did most of the cooking; he took care of the yard work. I tried to keep the house reasonably clean and organized ("tried" being the operative word), while he kept the cars maintained and running well. When our children were little, both of us juggled one, two, and sometimes even three jobs at a time. We constantly coordinated work schedules, side gigs, daycare arrangements, and help from my in-laws — support we were incredibly fortunate to have. We both coached our kids' various sports teams and I volunteered locally. We currently own two businesses and can't see retiring (yet). It's been exhausting and wonderful. And now, the baby who first made me a mother is a father, and that grandbaby is making all of our lives so much richer. I'm hoping to see my own father again soon, and I'm so blessed to have him in my life. (I love you, Dad!) To all the fathers out there, thank you for everything you do, both noticed and unnoticed. Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy Father's Day! -Julie Flunn DAYS TO KEEP IN MIND Monday June 1 National Say Something Nice(!) Day Friday June 5 World Environment Day June 6, 1944: "D-Day" – World War II, the Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to fight the German troops Sunday June 7 National Cancer Survivor's Day Monday June 8 World Oceans Day Friday June 12 Peace Day ☮ June 12, 1967: "Loving Day" – the breakthrough case of Loving V. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ended all anti- miscegenation laws Sunday June 14 Flag Day June 17, 1775: The Battle of Bunker Hill, Revolutionary War Sunday Sunday June 21 Father's Day! June 19, 1865: "Juneteenth", or "Freedom Day", the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in Confederate states Saturday June 20 Summer Solstice June 25, 1876: Battle of the Little Bighorn (Custer's Last Stand) June 25, 1950: The Korean War began

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