Mother

I would like to share some memories of my mother with you. This is something that I think she needs to know since mother's are all too often taken for granted. Sometimes we say things out of anger. Some of the things we mean, most we do not. However, at those times we never say "I love you" or "I appreciate you". I want to take this opportunity to let my mother know exactly how I feel about her. Thankfully, my mother is still living and is young and vibrant so I can say these things to her. I just hope that if you are reading this you will take the time to let your mother know how much you truly love her because I promise you that if you don't, you will never forgive yourself once she's gone.

I remember when......

I remember being very small. There was someone in our lives that was hurting me. One day, a day that I don't remember very clearly, I brought myself to tell you about it. I do remember that you did not yell at me or call me a liar. Instead, you loved me and believed me. Even though you were young and had little money, you scooped me up in your loving arms and took me away from the abuse. All the while you never blamed me for the hard times that you would have to face for years and years to come because we had to leave. You did EVERYTHING in your power to protect me and keep me safe. I love you so much for that.

I remember coming home from school one day crying because some of the kids on the school bus were making fun of me. You told me that it was their loss if they didn't want to be my friend. That night, even though we were so poor, you went out and bought me a bag of candy. You gave it to me and told me to pass it out to all of the children on the bus. I did as you said and I made some new friends. I don't remember ever coming home crying again for being picked on.

I remember being in kindergarten. I had gotten in trouble that day and didn't get to go outside for recess. Being a silly five year old, I was so mad that I sat there and tied knots in my shoestrings. The problem was, I not only tied the knots in my shoestrings, I also tied the shoestring around the leg of the table (yeah, I was silly) and then tied the knots! By the time my teacher noticed that I was tied to the table I had missed the bus home. You had to come to the school to get me that day. I don't remember you laughing at me or making fun of me. I just remember that my mommy came and made everything better.

I remember that most of the time it was just you and me. Instead of you sitting on the sofa and leaving me to be a bored, television watching child, I remember you letting me play "beautician" with your thick, curly hair. I had the electric curling brush as I recall, and I was trying to "style" your hair. Somehow, I managed to get the red-hot curling brush so entangled in your hair that I couldn't get it out. You never yelled at me even though I was afraid that you were going to be so mad at me for burning your hair. You just got the brush out and let me continue. What a mom! But don't think for one minute that I forgot all of the many, many times that you would turn on the record player (oops! Sorry, I gave away both our ages!) and dance with me for hours. I think the name of the dance you taught me and my brother was the shag. Ooops! Did it again! I bet that you didn't know that years later when my brother was living with me we would turn on the music and teach my daughters that very same dance. Ask them to show you, I'll bet they remember it.

One of my fondest memories of you is the thousands of times I would ask you to sing with me. You always did. As a matter of fact, I remember several of the songs such as,"Mamma's taking us to the zoo tomorrow","I'm being swallowed by a boa constrictor", and my all time favorite, "When I was just a wee little lad". I believe those were all songs from a children's album. As you know, I taught my favorite one to my daughters and used to sing it with them. I know that you, like all good parent's, blame yourself for any "bad habit" I learned from you. What you need to know is that you taught me so many wonderful things that I have tried to pass on to my girl's. You are and always have been a wonderful mother.

I remember that even though you were a single mom and that your whole world was me and my brother, you never once pawned us off on anyone so you could go out and have fun. You were always a mommy first and a woman second. I am so sorry that that was your life, but I thank you for loving us enough to put us first. It would have been so easy for you to drop me off with my grandma and go out to live like the young woman you were. But you never dropped me off with anyone unless you were going to work, as you always did so you could take care of me. I asked you one time this question," If we were trapped on a deserted island with no food and you found a candy bar in your pocket, would you share it with me"? Your answer was "NO". You said you would not share it with me, you would give me the whole thing. That is what kind of mother you are to me. I love you.

I remember Christmases when I was little. We would always watch "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" while we made (and ate) rice crispy treats. Even though we never had much money, there was always a wonderful Christmas beneath our small tree. I remember one particular Christmas when I got under-roos and a pogo stick among other gifts. That must have cost a fortune for someone with such little income, but you didn't care. All you cared about was seeing your children smiling and happy on Christmas morning. While money is no longer a problem for you and you still give us wonderful Christmases even though we're grown, I do not have a memory of ever having a sad Christmas with you when we were poor. You always did your best and worked you hardest to make sure that I never went without, even though you often did.

I could go on and on with childhood memories of you as well as all of the things you've sacrificed and done for me as an adult, but I think you get the hint. If I get mad at you or vice versa and say things that hurt you, I'm sorry. I'm not perfect and sometimes I speak without thinking (as we all have done from time to time) and say things that I honestly do not mean. So I want you to know that no matter what I've ever said or done, you are very special to me for many, many reasons. I have never forgotten the sacrifices you've made for me nor will I ever. To me, you have been the perfect mother. There is not one thing about you that I would change, because even if I didn't realize it at the time has been done out of love. Even if you've done something that upset me at the time, looking back I know that your reasons were purely selfless and loving. Not only are you the most wonderful mother you can be to me, you now show the same love and compassion to my daughters. For that, I thank you.

I could have waited until Mother's Day to write this for my mom, but in my opinion one day isn't nearly enough to celebrate Mother's like mine. Everyday should be Mother's Day.

I Love you mom.

P.s. If you'd like to know a little about my wonderful mother, search "Tigger's Mom" on AC and you can read her stories and see her profile. You will see that she is without a doubt a very loving and caring person.