The Globe and Mail (Ontario Edition)
May 23, 2024

Re “Sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time? Not in this family” (Opinion, May 18): This made me feel very lazy.

The family cottage that my sister, brother and I share in the Gatineau comes equipped with all manner of creature comforts: a bathroom with a shower, an electric oven, a dishwasher, laundry facilities.

However, when we were growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, we lacked the latter two amenities, which meant going into town to use a laundromat. My late father resisted getting a dishwasher, maintaining that if each of us did their own dishes, it would be unnecessary. But my willful mother, who was a hardworking doctor with little time for chores, insisted on getting one.

She ultimately prevailed, and even posted a sign above the dishwasher that said: “This is an equal opportunity kitchen.”

Deborah Viets, Toronto