I Love You, Angel Mom!

Greetings from the Burbs of Chicago!  Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere!  

As I read all of the wonderful tributes to moms, those who are still here, and those who have passed on, my eyes well up and I have this incredible lump in my throat.  I desperately miss my mom each year at this time, not just because of Mother's Day, but because this was the time when she went home to God. 

Jeanne (Skip) Thomas was an incredible woman, ahead of her time, gifted-but never mentioned it, and was "always" there to listen to my drama.  She gave advice only when asked, yet was sneaky enough to exercise the "power of suggestion" when she felt that I was about to choose a path that couldn't have had a happy ending.  She knew.  How did she know, and why didn't I get that gene?  It doesn't matter.  She shared her gifts with everyone, and she was beloved by all who knew her.

I remember a sunny afternoon at my brother's wedding reception.  She and my dad were just enjoying the day.  I watched as young couples (friends of my brother) would join them for a few minutes, as if to pay homage, and then leave with giant smiles on their faces.  She had that effect on people!  I later found out that she had been chosen to be the "marriage counselor" for the day.  I'm sure she touched a lot of hearts that day. (She was a teacher by profession, but could have gone into psychotherapy - an area for which most teachers already qualify!)

Mom was editor of her college newspaper.  She turned a few heads when she wrote an editorial expressing her opinion, which was critical of a group associated with the government. The "powers" wanted her to retract her story.  She stood firm and refused.  She lost her position because of it, but won the hearts of many for her courage.  She ended up marrying my dad, who was someone from the group that she bashed!

My mother stood by and watched as I fell flat on my face and had to feel the pain of disappointment, but she was always there to help me pick up the pieces.  Today, we (and I speak for myself) enable our kids so they don't have to feel the effects of failure.  She had it right...and it has finally sunk in.  A great lesson for all!

Mom is now in a wonderful place, playing bridge with her BFFs, dancing with my Dad, and watching my brother surf the great Pipeline in Heaven!  Can it get any better than this? 

Thank you mom.  I love you!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope that all moms reading this have a wonderful day, enjoying the people they love!  Please stop by Sundays in My City, hosted by Unknown Mami from the great city of San Francisco.  Just click on the logo below to enjoy the day with others!

Hooray for Mommyhood!

Happy Almost Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  A special wish for you to be showered with love, hugs, kisses and cupcakes (and texts from your adult children who live in another city)!  I'm hoping the family remembers to reserve Raul for my massage, Chaz for my hair and make-up, and Richard Gere for my Tango lesson...it's a Bucket List thing!

Mommyhood, or Motherhood as some refer to it, is an opportunity that lasts a lifetime.  We may not always want it, but it's there, and it's ours!  We have been given gifts from God that are so incredibly unique and special.  It's up to us, and friends, and family, and sometimes perfectly amazing strangers who are sometimes disguised as teachers or doctors, to wrap ourselves around each other in order to grow these wonderful gifts until they learn to grow themselves! Whew!  Not a job for the faint-hearted!

I'm taking my unique and special gifts out to breakfast this weekend at IHOP.  Since I'm paying, I get to pick the place!  After my massage, beautification and dancing, I am meeting a good friend who will accompany me to Listen To Your Mother, St. Louis, which is a performance of live readings by local writers, about their experiences as moms, or experiences about their moms. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this event will go to Connections to Success, an organization that works to help women break the poverty cycle through hope, resources and a plan. I submitted a piece to read for this event, but alas, they could only choose 12 to perform.  I'd like to share my story with you here.

They Call Me Mom!

Mooooooooom! Mommy? Mother! Mama! Thanks, mom! I love you Mommie! Mom….

Each of these statements evokes deep emotional memories for me.  I said these words to my mom, and these very words have come back to me via my children…all four of them…and sometimes simultaneously!  I’m a mom, and a happy, full-fledged member of an extraordinary group known as Motherhood! 

The gift of a child may come to us in different ways. It doesn’t matter how they came to us; just that they are here and we are blessed to have them in our lives. My husband and I planned to have two children…God said “I don’t think so!” I said, "okay.." I was up for the challenge.  What else did I have going on?  My twenties were filled with taking chances and being unaccountable for my actions. I promised myself to grow up in my thirties…and I did, with a vengeance!  My first was born when I was 31 and my fourth, when I was 39.  I grew up, but I also grew younger because of them.  I learned how to play all over again!

I believe that Motherhood extends beyond child-rearing and can include anyone who cares for, nurtures, and stresses relentlessly about the well-being of another person…who could be a sibling, a parent, a pet (or pets), or in many cases…ourselves.   Mothering ourselves is paramount for our survival.  We know exactly what we want and we know how to get it, even if our “want” turns out to be what we “need!”

There are people who have been charged with the “challenge” of Motherhood who are not stepping up to their responsibilities.  Maybe they are unable, or maybe they have no interest in fulfilling this part of their legacy.  I pray that someone will reach out to them and offer help.  

Motherhood, for many of us, is about guiding, not control.  There is, actually, a difference.  I only recently became aware of this having spent years telling my children what to do with their lives.  I still have days where I want to jump into the “Double Dutch” game of life with them, spewing words of experience and wisdom, but then I feel the firm hand of the big guy above covering my mouth and I take a step back.  I now share my thoughts (when I’m asked) being ever-so-careful not to solve their problems, but to give them some options to figure it out themselves! 

On the emotional side, here are some examples of the highest of joys and the deepest of pain to which moms from everywhere can relate. 

Hearing a heartbeat for the first time

Making eye contact with a little one and the mutual smile that ensues

Watching the bus drive away with a kindergartner on that first day of school

Reading the words “I love you” written in crayon…on the wall

Feeling the gentle, final breath as it brushes against the face…forever

Bursting with pride as the Eagle Scout receives his award while the live eagle poops on stage right

Releasing a flood of tears as the pint-sized casket is lowered into the ground

Enduring the endless nights of fevers; amazed at the fleeting years that have vanished

Swallowing the lump in the throat as the bride and father walk down the aisle

All of these are badges of Motherhood. We have certainly earned them, and we wear them with pride. I feel privileged to be a Mother.  I have been deeply touched and I now live my life with more conviction and purpose because of my experiences as a Mom.  I’m thrilled to pieces every time they call me Mom…no matter how they say it!

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope that all moms (and dads) are made to feel loved this weekend!

Artwork provided by the The Graphics Fairy, LCC

FF - I Love The World!

Friday Fragments is a wonderful place for me to go, let down my silvery hair, calm my frazzled nerves and relax as I reflect on the past week!  Mrs4444 of Half-Past Kissin' Time is the proud sponsor of this weekly writing event which encourages many of us to get up off our "tooshies" and write!


It's been another fascinating week in the exciting world of retail!  Semi-annual sales, long lines of tired customers, and irritable co-workers have made for an emotional roller coaster of feelings.  Thank you, God, for putting your hand over my mouth during the perturbation (look it up, dude) so I would make nice at the time, and also, when I wanted to consume mass quantities of anything and everything after the fact!  It's such a relief to not partake in that very unhealthy behavior any more!

I met my baby girls halfway between Chicago and St. Louis on Sunday!  What fun we had! I'm so blessed to have them in my life, and to know that they are making their own way...without their meddling, controlling, and opinionated mother hovering about.  Thank you, God, for showing me how to step back and get out of the way!

I no longer meddle, but sometimes I visit their social media pages just to get caught up! I found this song on one of the pages and couldn't resist sharing.  You may have seen it, but it is such a great clip, I hope you enjoy it again, and in my case, again and again and again!

                               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC1yLD7R0ZU

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that a special random act of kindness comes your way, or comes from you to another!  Thanks for stopping by!

Please grab another cup of coffee and visit Half-Past Kissin' Time where you can enjoy the fragments of friends who love Mrs.4444 as much as I do!  Just click on the logo below! Oh, and Happy Birthday Mrs4444!!

Dear John...I Think I Love You

Welcome to Saturday Centus, the brainchild of Jenny Matlock of Off On My Tangent.  Each week, she provides a prompt, either a picture or series of words, with which we are challenged to express ourselves in response.  This week, our prompt is "Dear John" and my story follows with the prompt in bold.

Dear John,

I just wanted to thank you for all you do...
You always have my back
My butt is always covered
Your strength sees me through the worst days and nights
You never judge
Even when I neglect you, I can always count on you being there for me
I can't imagine my life without you
Throughout the years, you have grown and redefined yourself, and my life gets better as you do
I'm so lucky to have you...I think I love you...thank you for being you

 

Please click on the Saturday Centus logo above to poop...I mean pop...over to Jenny's and read some submissions of my fellow students!  Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great weekend!

V is for Very Interesting!

How many remember the great days of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In?  So many careers were born and revived from that show!  The multi-talented and wide array of characters never failed to delight and make us laugh out loud.  It was a show that families, well some families, could watch together and actually "get" the jokes!One of my favorite characters was the German soldier played by Arte Johnson.  He would say the words "very interesting" and sometimes follow them up with "but very schtupid!"  I can just imagine how much fun taping the show must have been for everyone!

Another great show, I think, was the Carol Burnett Show.  I recently watched an interview with Carol Burnett where she reminisced about the actors who were on the show and the many hours of ad-libs and deep belly laughs they all gave to us. What I would have given to be a fly on the wall of one of the sets of that show! I probably would have left little fly "pee" marks all over the place!

Comedy has changed dramatically over the years and although it can be very entertaining, I think that the humor in entertainment today is too raw, too insulting and only intended for certain audiences.  Don't get me wrong...there are oodles of great sitcoms out there right now.  But many TV shows, movies and live comedy seem to have aspired to a very deep low, and I hope that a more simple, clean and "something for everyone" type of funny can find its way back to us. 


Please stop over to Jenny's place and see what other V assignments have been turned in today.  Just click on the logo below and VOILA...you will be there!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Sundays - Easter Blessings!

Hello from Chicago and Happy Easter to all! I hope that however your day is spent, it is enjoyable! We plan to do some laundry, take the dog out to a public park (if any are open) and treat ourselves to dinner at one of the fine dining establishments in the area--preferably one without a drive-through!

What will be different for us this year, is the annual egg hunt and family get-together.  For the first time in 27 years, I did not stay up until midnight filling and hiding eggs, arranging baskets and setting out items for the Easter meal prep.  It's bittersweet for me.  It was actually nice to come home from work at 9:30, fall into bed, and sleep in until 8:00.  I told my children to hide their own eggs this year.  Does this qualify me for "mom of the year" status?

It's all part of the journey...subject to change at any moment.  Life is good, and I'm so very grateful to be a part of it!

I'm from Chicago. Welcome to my city!  Please hop (no bunny pun here) over to Sundays in My City to see what Unknown Mami's followers are doing today!  Just click on the logo below.

Thanks for stopping by today!  (Bunny photo courtesy of The Graphics Fairy)

Like Ribbons of Light

Welcome to one of my favorite weekend memes, Saturday Centus! This weekly writing challenge always puts me to the "imagination" test, and I love it!  Jenny Matlock from Off On My Tangent has tossed out a great idea for us this week. We are to write a piece that begins with the words, "Our Fingers Entwined Like Ribbons of Light" using our choice of expression which could be prose, poetry, lyric, etc. Our only requirement is that we use no more than 107 words.  My submission follows with the prompt in bold.  Enjoy!


Our fingers entwined like ribbons of light.  It felt incredible to experience my mother's touch again after so many years. My entire body was engulfed in the warmth of the light as I explored her face with my hands. She was so beautiful and her smile drew me closer as we embraced.  Then, in an instant, I was pulled back from her and she faded, along with the light and the warmth.  I cried out to her, but she was no longer there.  My body shook. I opened my eyes and found a masked medical team hovering above...cheering.  They just scored a three-pointer at the buzzer!


Thanks so much for stopping by today! Please click on the Saturday Centus logo below and see some great reads from other followers of Jenny's.  You won't be disappointed! Have a wonderful weekend!