My Mother, My Dearest Friend
Apr 28 '04
The Bottom Line Hold your Mom close to your heart...
Hi everybody :-) This is my offering for Dionne25's Mother's Day Write Off. If you would like to participate, please follow this link: http://www.epinions.com/user-dionne25 where you can read Dionne's instructions and also find some very touching and wonderful entries from other amazing Epinionators.
When I think of my Mom, so many things immediately come to mind: strength, courage, humor, tenacity, kindness, talent, God-loving - so many things. Is it really possible to truly paint a clear picture of someone who is so essential to your life? No... to me, that painting would have so many different colors and textures that it would take forever to understand its layers.
My Mother is an only child, and because of that she honed some pretty strong, independent traits. She got every ounce of attention from her parents and (sshhh) she was also very spoiled. She was used to getting her way and God help the one who got in her way! Hmmm, actually you know what? She's still like that today! ;-)
I can't sit here and pretend that things were always so wonderful between my Mother and I. Any woman out there knows that Mothers and Daughters do not see eye to eye - at least for a few years while the daughter is a teenager! It was no exception for me. Mom didn't know anything! Mom was always out to get me! I was sure that Mom didn't even like me! It's true... we barely got along. At the same time, I could not imagine my life without her in it.
My Mom was one of the "lucky" ones who was able to stay home to raise her children. My brothers and I liked going to school with Mom right there to see us off, and we loved to come home to see here right there again - just where we thought she should be. Of course, that's in a child's eye - but for many stay-at-home mothers, it's true that family becomes our life and many times the mothers are the ones to sacrifice so much. For my Mom it was her choice - and I can now realize how much of her life she gave to each of us, without (too much) complaint. :-)
When we kids were pre-teens, Mom got involved in Tupperware. It began when she attended a party and from that moment, she knew she could excel in it. She became a Tupperware dealer, then a manager and from there it was a blur! Her personality was so perfect for this job - fun, energetic, hard-working, motivating. This job earned her cars, trips, merchandise for our house - the woman was a literal work-a-holic! But hey. She'd earned it! Finally the day came where it was time for her to retire from Tupperware, and she looks back on it as a very happy time of her life.
Mom taught me how to can and freeze fruits and vegetables from our massive gardens. She taught me how to thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly!!) clean a house from top to bottom. She taught me how to cook a mouth-watering Southern meal that would bring a grown person - man or woman - to delightful tears. She taught me to love the written word in books and in God's word. She taught me how NOT to cremate everything on the BBQ grill! She is the one who honed my love of music - we would sit down at night and sing into a cassette tape recorder, where we recorded "Paper Roses", "The Old Rugged Cross", "The Windows of Heaven" and more. I can still hear her beautiful Alto voice as we sang church hymns as a family at our church. So many memories that bring my heart nothing but great joy.
When I was 19 and my Mom was 42, our lives were changed dramatically - forever. The man she'd been married to since she was 18 years old - the man that she devoted her entire life to - the father of her 3 children - her companion, her partner, her heart-friend - died suddenly at the young age of 44. My Dad was the gentle man in our lives, someone who quietly kept us together and who gave 100% of his life to every one of us, unselfishly and without complaint. From that day on, the relationship I had had with my Mom changed. Who cared about all of those years that we didn't get along? That was the past - little insignificant things that meant nothing. What was important was what was happening here and now. Many times, I've become aware that this was my Dad's parting gift to me - that I realize how important my Mother is, and I will forever be grateful to him for that. I miss you, Papa.
Mom's life since my Dad's passing has been full of so many changes. Some negative, confusing, frustrating. All of that was due to her being a young widow, trying to understand how to make her way in a huge, sometimes cruel, new world. But make it she did. Mom's been a home health aide for many years now. This type of work is perfect for her because she has always loved to take care of people and she is DARN good at it. Her clients love her and many of them have adopted her as their own, which has made it difficult when Mom had to say goodbye to them as they left this earth to be with God. But knowing them brings many blessings to her heart and she just thanks God to have known people so dear.
My mom is now 62 years old - close to retirement! - and I can tell that she's thinking of this because she has purchased a boat! Now, you tell me what else she could be thinking of, other than spending her days floating along, soaking up the sun, drinking iced tea, reading magazines on a boat?! Heh heh. I'm happy for her.
My Mother and I live 4.5 hours apart - not a long drive, but it does make the visits a bit sparse. We email quite a bit, and talk on the phone even more. (Thank goodness for the MCI Neighborhood plan! Whew!) I call her for advice, to bug her, to listen to her tell me about her day. Right now she's trying to take care of my Grandmother - who still lives 8 hours away - because my Grandma is going through some physical challenges right now. The emotional strength that my Mom shows during this time is inspiring to me and I respect her so much for it.
To any of you who have ever known the heartbreak of losing a parent, I hope you really realize that they are forever a part of you and they live on within us and in our children. Just look at your children... you can see that sparkle of that special parent in their eyes. For those of you who are at odds with one of your parents - please, please swallow your pride ~~ make up. Sometimes it's easier said than done, but trust me - you only have one Dad, one Mom. Once they're gone - that is it. I would give anything - anything - to spend just 1 more minute with my Dad. But it's not possible. Please do what you have to do to let your parents know how much they mean to you, NOW. You can "forgive and forget", or "live and regret." To me, there really isn't a choice.
I absolutely cherish and adore my Mom, and I love her more than I can ever, ever express to you or to anyone else. She's amazing and I am so proud of her. I know the day will come where I will have to say goodbye to her and the older we get the more I realize that this day is inevitable. But I will comfort myself by knowing that I learned so many important life lessons from this woman that I call My Mom, My Dearest Friend.
I love you with my whole heart, Mom. Happy Mother's Day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Please join Dionne25's Mother's Day Write Off. Your heart will be glad that you did....... http://www.epinions.com/user-dionne25.
Thanks, Dionne :-) This has been a very special experience for me.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Jev04again
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Sunni
Location: Perso in un sogno.
Reviews written: 113
Trusted by: 173 members
About Me:
♥ Live like it's Heaven on Earth... ♥
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.