How PBS saved my sanity & Happy Memorial Day

You are renting the second floor of a modest Victorian house in the New York suburbs.
Your husband is a full-time medical student that is now in his last year and has rotations in the hospital. You have to stay at home with two little ones. The oldest is almost 2 years old and the younger one is 3 months old. You feel so lucky to find a place that comes with furniture. By that I mean you have to pay the family before you for these treasures: a chair, a couch, a lamp, a dining room, and two mattresses. There had been two med families before you, and they are the ones that hauled all these treasures from the street or from a secondhand place. By the time you take possession of this is more like fourth hand 😊 But the most important asset is a TV!
As poor students living with student’ loans, you only have one old car that your husband takes to get to school. You can’t drive him anyways though because you don’t have a valid USA driver's license yet. You are in the process of getting permanent residence in the USA, and then you can apply for the precious driver’s license.
So, what do you do all day long with two little ones at home? You watch T.V. but not just any T.V. you watch PBS tv. Since you have no cable and have no budget for that, a pair of rabbit ears will do the trick.

I discovered the world of the Public Broadcasting Service back in 2002 when I immigrated to the USA. That was the best treasure I was able to get in that rental.
I can feel the excitement just by listening to the opening song of “Between the Lions.”
“Hey now, hey wow, here’s how, come and read, between the lions, come on, come in, begin the world awaits……”
My morning routine was to get up, make sure the girls were fine, take a quick shower, and get dressed. Then the little ones were up, so it was showtime! Check diapers and change them. Nurse the baby, get the air out, put her in the baby carrier and bring her to the kitchen and prepare breakfast for the toddler and for me.
After breakfast it was reading time and then it was my favorite part of the day: watching PBS. They had many shows in the morning, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Teletubbies, Dragon Tales, Caillou, Plaza Sesamo, and I’m sure I am missing others, but my favorite was Between the Lions.
I was able to sit down and learn like a little kid. I was learning how to spell, how to pronounce a word, how to read a difficult word, how to find the root of the word, how to sound the long vowels, and the short vowels. Sure, I had English classes in Mexico, and I had read textbooks in English while in college, but I still had to improve my conversational skills. I dare say that my pronunciation really improved by watching this cute show. I do still have the accent though 😉
After watching some PBS shows, I took the girls to the park in our neighborhood and played until it was time for lunch and then naptime. While they napped, I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and tried to catch up with other things.

​Those were long days for a young mother with little ones. A mother that didn’t know anyone yet and was alone with no family close by. Nevertheless, my world was a little better every morning when I was able to watch the PBS educational shows that not only helped me to not feel so isolated but also were designed to teach me something. As an immigrant, this was like a window into American culture and education. It was my window to the outside world somehow.
We moved to PA so my hubby could start his residency and as soon as I could, I got my driver’s license and found the closest public library where my girls and I got our first library card. I also donated to my local PBS station. To this day I have also donated to my local NPR. (national public radio). Both entities have been of significant impact for me. I feel both organizations connect me to the basics of American society in some ways. It helps me to keep myself informed, and in the day, it helped me to keep my sanity.

To support your local PBS station, visit:
https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/support-pbs/

More than ever we the people, citizens, residents and everyone who can is welcome to help. You never know who you are helping and what a difference you are making in the life of others. I know it has made a difference in mine.
Today in honor of Memorial Day, watch the National Memorial Day Concert 2025 on PBS
National Memorial Day Concert 2025

Images: PBS