"Don't stop priming the pump." When I was a kid, my family bought a rustic cabin at the beach. Every weekend that we went there, we had to bring along a big jar of water to pour into the hand pump, out back, when we got there. After you poured the water in, you would pump, pump, pump; then let someone else pump, when your arm got tired. Even though I was a little girl, I got to do some of the pumping, but my older sister could put real enthusiasm and muscle into that thing.
With the water from home that we poured in and a lot of pumping, water would finally come gushing out of the pump. The rest of the weekend, all we had to do was go out and pump two or three times, and plenty of water would come. It was just getting it started that required water and muscles.
We never forgot to bring that jar of water, but if we had, we would have had to go into town and buy some water or something (if anyone was selling water in stores in those days)...or maybe find someone willing to give us some.
Why I started by saying, "Don't stop priming the pump" is that I sometimes see things online where parents talk about their children not calling them anymore or not coming over anymore. Presumably, when they were little, you did - we all did - a lot of priming the pump. But when they're adults, there may be times when we may need to pour some water in or put some muscle in. Maybe by being the one to call or text and touch bases. Maybe by being the one to give a little praise. Or to offer physical, financial, or emotional support. "Don't stop priming the pump."
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