A Mother About Her Mother on Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  This blog could be just another shameless attempt at getting you to buy our chocolate for your mother on her special day.  There I said it.  Give Snowflake Chocolates as a gift to your mom she will adore you forever. Got it?

Moving along here are a few thoughts to share on Mother's Day...

I hope I grow up to be as stupid as my mother.  If I grow up to be even half as stupid as my mother I will be happy.  Let me explain.

In my snot nosed teenage years when I lived in my "me" bubble I couldn't begin to understand how my mother functioned.  This all stemmed from when I would ask her how old she was.  She would pause and reply "Let me think about it."  And then blurt out some random number.  In my little "me" bubble I was astounded.  What is there possibly to think about when someone asks you how old you are?  I would just look at her in all my smug adolescence  and think, "What in the world is wrong with you that you don't know how old you are?".   And I would think "Is she really that stupid?".

Guess what.  I am that stupid.  I am 54 years old and I have to think about it when someone asks my age, or birthday, or some days even my name.  In fact I calculate my age by thinking about how old my sister Betsy is and subtract two years from that.  Or I remember how old Shelly is and add five years to that.  I know how old they are.  I just can't remember how old I am.

Somewhere in my twenties I stepped out of my "me" bubble long enough to really look at my mom and have a better understanding of her mental capacity.  Within a rather short period of time my mother started showing signs of intelligence.  This woman who couldn't always remember her own age, raised five fairly well adjusted adults.  She ran a household of seven.  She kept track of grades, boyfriends, girlfriends, laundry, grocery shopping, canning and freezing vegetables, teaching us our faith, feeding us and keeping us in line.  She grounded us for arriving home late, taught us good manners, and kept us from killing each other.  Without even saying a word, and I have no idea how she did this she instilled in us that family is everything. She taught us there is always room for forgiveness and there is nothing, and I mean nothing worth never speaking to a family member again. She was indeed the quintessential model of multi tasking. There was no one who could work all day, come home, cook a meal and chase you around the house with a wooden spoon better than my mom.  Well, there is my Aunt with her sling back sandal that comes in a close second.  

When I gave birth to my first child suddenly my mother is a genius.  She had all the answers.  And she was and is mostly right.  Though parenting skills have changed over the years she was there guiding me as I raised my own three children.  Now I see it in their eyes.  My children look at me and think, "How can she be so stupid?".  Here's a news flash for you kiddos.  I am not stupid.  And neither was my mother.  

I can tell you that now at the age of 54 (yes I calculated that by thinking of Shelly) my mother has infinite wisdom.  My mother and I seldom agree on anything.  She will always say that I was born to contradict her.  To which I always reply, "No I was not.".  As most people of her generation she has gained an insight to life that I need to pay attention to.  She has always been a good teacher.  I have just become a better student.  

In the end she was NEVER stupid.  Have I grown up to be half of what my mother is?  I have no idea.  My children still look at me and wonder how I got this far in life with the little brain capacity I have.  They have all the answers.  I on the other hand know nothing and am hopelessly old fashioned and "uncool".  Let me tell you my sweet ones how I have come this far in life.  My mother.  Your grandmother.  The matriarch of this family.  I hope that someday my kids will come to realize that I'm really not that "stupid".

And for those of you reading this, please understand that it is mostly tongue in cheek.  So take a moment to hug your Mom.  Possibly buy her some Snowflake Chocolates. If she is no longer with you a little whisper to the heavens will suffice until you hug again.

The best part of my day today?  Tea with my Mom, words of encouragement and best of all a Mom hug.  How lucky am I?

Peace <3