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Creative Writing Challenge #26 - My Mother

My mother will be gone for four years come July.  I still find it hard to wrap my mind around that sad fact.  There are times that I'm sure if I drive over to Marshall Ave., she'll be sitting in her favorite rocker (you can see her sitting there on my FB profile pic) watching, most likely QVC or one of her favorite soap operas.  And on a weekend it would surely be baseball (now) or any ice skating program (she was delighted the year I took her to see her hero - Scotty Hamilton - at our local arena).  I still hang her glass ice skate ornament on my tree for her every Christmas. 

I even try to dial her number every now and then.  "Wait until Mom hears about this...." and I have to hang up quickly so I don't hear a different voice on the other end.

She wore many hats throughout her life: daughter who quit school early to take a job to help support the family; wife; mother of two; sister of five, friend to many.  She worried about her weight, so was in Weight Watchers for years.  When she donned the grandmother hat for the first time, it came out that she had heart troubles (caused by a bout with rheumatic fever as a child), so needed two valves replaced.  Many years later she'd take on the one hat she hated the most - patient.  The valves they put in her were faulty, and she spent the rest of her life knowing that at any given moment...on any given day, one  of those valves could snap and the chances of her making it to the hospital in time to fix it was slim.  But it didn't change her.  She still took care of my Meg for several years when I went back to work.  Being with her was so good for Meg - she even got potty trained at Mom-mom's!  She still baked the best darned cookies - chocolate chip for my Jack on his birthday, spritz cookies for me on mine and those heavenly filled cookies at Christmas.  I have her recipe...sort of...I video taped her making them one year.  Haven't had the courage to watch it yet.  It's still too sore; too sad.  Every night when I go to bed, I snuggle under one of the many beautiful afghans she made (both of my grandbabies and my daughter do the same) and it's almost like a hug...almost.  Christmas is the hardest holiday for me - it was her favorite, but Mother's Day...with all the cards and flowers and candies...runs a real close second.  They say it gets easier.  I'll let you know if they're right.  So far, they're WAY off base...

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Comment by Maryanne Mesple on May 9, 2011 at 8:51pm
Beautiful and I could feel all your words
Comment by Elle MacNeil on May 8, 2011 at 10:29am
Thank you, ladies...
Comment by Maryrose Orlans on May 8, 2011 at 9:18am
This is beautiful....
Comment by wiffledust on May 8, 2011 at 9:10am
what a beautiful tribute, elle!!!! this made me cry! i miss my wonderful mom so much.....hugs for you!!!! i know your mom would never really leave you!
Comment by Sheree on May 7, 2011 at 9:11am

She was an amazing woman!!!  The super model who just wanted to be a wife and mother and grandmother.  And, not unlike the daughter and granddaughter she raised, she was sweet and gentle when she needed to be but determined and stern when she needed to be.  Every winter I pull my knitted scarf out of the closet and hang it on its peg by the door so that I always have a nice warm hug from Mrs. G any time I have to face the cold and damp.

You bring her back so vividly, Elle.  Thank you my sweet sister.

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