When I was five years old, she took me to the Hogle Zoo. I remember being so excited because she had red hair, like my Mom had. Like I had. When I was seven and Grandma had a stroke, she took me to California for the summer and we went to Disneyland. I learned to swim that summer. It was also the summer that I tried to shave my legs and ended up slicing open my thumb and she had to bandage me up.
When I was nine and my world was turned upside down, she came and moved me in with her, and she became my permanent parent.
On my tenth birthday, she bought me The Lion King and we watched it until the VHS tape wore out.
When I was eleven, she let me bring home a puppy, and when she had to be put to sleep later that year, she took me to a movie to try and take my mind off of my grief.
When I broke my arm after falling off my bike, she had to ride an hour back home from the hospital to find the papers proving that I belonged to her, so she could take me home.
She took me on my first trip to Vegas, and took pride in the fact that no one could ever guess her age in the games room beneath the Casino; a fact that won me many, many stuffed animals.
She took me to the ocean for the first time.
She held me during my first heart break.
And when we moved to New Mexico, she put on Whitney Houston and we listened to the CD four times all the way through until I stopped crying.
She forgot my shot records my first day of High School causing me to be late to my first class.
She made me swear on a Bible when she asked if I was having sex.
She yelled at me for burning a hole in her carpet when I was fifteen.
She never once questioned my decision to join the Church.
But she did once mix bleach with ammonia thinking it would get the carpets cleaner.
She paid a lot of money just so I could home school and graduate early.
She became one of my best friends when I grew up and moved out.
She was there on the worst day of my life.
And despite a massive snow storm, she was there on the best day of my life.
She once bought me the same birthday card three years in a row.
And she's never forgotten Matt's birthday either.
She makes Burritos and thinks that they are enchiladas.
And she can't pronounce sopapillas.
She's wildly inappropriate and doesn't apologise for a bit of it.
And she's not afraid of telling it all on Facebook.
She thinks farts are funny. You don't want to know what she thinks a Pokemon is.
Her laugh is infectious.
She's the most stubborn person I've ever known in my entire life.
She's my Mom.
And she's moving away.
And I can't handle how much I'm going to miss her.
Because I can't imagine my life without her.
PS: Today (August 21st) is her birthday!
7 comments:
Truly a beautiful post and tribute to her. I'm sorry she is moving away but thank God for cheap long distance and web cams.
You just about tore my heart out - so much of what you wrote of you and your mother is like my daughter and me. But she would never admit the farts and the Pokemon and "things" like that. But if she would, she would sound just like you. And saying goodbye really isn't the saddest part of living. The saddest part is the being apart. Wish I could say it wasn't so - but it is. Do whatever it takes to remain connected. It will close the distance. I promise.
I'm here from MMB - first time on this blog hop so I'm reading and following everyone. It has been an uplifting Saturday activity. I appreciate your donation to my day.
You made me miss my mom. Now Im crying. You may not live close to your mom but your mom is still living. I lived 15 years a way from my mom and she and I were still close even closer than when we lived close. I'm glad to see you cherish your mom. My mom passed away over two years ago. I miss her like you are already missing your mom being away. It will be hard for your mom also you can still have great great chats on the phone. I promise it will be alright. You can still call her and tell her you miss her.
My real Mom actually died when I was a little girl. The person I think of as my "mom" now is the one moving away, but yes, still painful. I'm grateful that she at least knows how to work Facebook now.
so sweet!
what a wonderful thing to have her in your life...near or far!
she sounds like the life of the party, your biggest support and someone who is full of love!
I loved this post, and have just spent a long time poking around your blog. What a blessing to have someone like that in your life. My mom and I aren't close at all, and I've always longed for a relationship like that.
Happy birthday to your mom, and absence makes the heart grow fonder. promise. ;)
Post a Comment