My Mom is really cool, and I am very blessed to have her in my life! And since Mother’s Day is just around the corner, what better way to end the week than to write about her? The hard part is keeping it short…
My Mom did all the usual stuff that Mom’s do – the endless pile of laundry, cleaning, dishes, meals, as well as soothing cuts, bruises and broken hearts. She also made some special memories – reading bedtime stories, skipping down the dirt road on our camping trips, teaching me to blow bubbles in the kiddy pool out back (hope nobody peed in it). She played games (even though she doesn’t really like them), stayed up late sewing figure skating costumes, and took me swimming in water that even penguins found too cold. The first time I saw The Wizard of Oz, my Mom popped a big bowl of popcorn. We (Mom, my brother and I), curled up under a blanket on the couch in the dark and watched the whole thing. (I got to stay up late too). It was magical!
My Dad was a firefighter and worked shifts, so whenever he was on night shift, I’d sleep with my Mom. It was the only time I knew I could sleep all night and not have nightmares. When I had a bad dream, I had to be really scared before I could consider knocking on my parents’ bedroom door. My Dad didn’t like interruptions in the middle of the night (go figure). While I was never allowed to crawl into bed with them, my Mom always got up and tucked me back in. She prayed with me, and while I was still afraid, I felt safer, and eventually I would go back to sleep.
My Mom was really supportive when I was pregnant with Big Guy (I was 16), and when I decided to raise him. She became my partner – sharing the night time feedings, and caring for him while I was at school or work. We lived with my parents until Big Guy was 5. She let me be the “mom”, helping me to grow up and into independence, without letting me be completely overwhelmed.
We’ve had some crazy adventures too – our “dream of a lifetime” trip to Europe in 1999, the bats (there’s whole post right there), and I could go on! I relish our long chats over endless pots of tea, shopping (and finding great bargains), movie marathons, or playing with our card stuff. She is my cheerleader, my mentor and my best friend. Love you Mom!
jennsmidlifecrisis 