Happy Mother’s Day
I’ve been sick and tired, literally sick and tired. I’m hoping the antibiotics kick in soon. It was my great idea to have a Mother’s day picnic in the park. Probably not the best idea when I was suffering from allergies and the cottonwood (or whatever it was) was coming down like snow. But I didn’t plan to get sick (I never get sick!) . From a weather perspective we couldn’t have picked a better day.
After a few logistics, scheduling and communication issues which is ironic since it is sort of how I make my living, we got everyone on track and headed to the park. I was the designated picker-upper for mom. As I arrive, I noticed she’s already cracked her beer. With my most self righteous and superior attitude, I nag at her, “You can’t take beer to the park!” I don’t know when that morning I made myself the moral authority AND the park police. To my defense, I was not feeling 100% and there were the early issues. If mom wants to drink a beer, in her house, before noon on Mother’s Day, who am I to say otherwise. I need to learn to just shut it. Besides as the song goes, it was 12 o’clock somewhere. I had actually tried to by some mini wine bottles at the grocery and hide them in my paper cup but they wouldn’t sell them to me before noon so it was just probably sour grapes (no pun intended) on my part.
In our most trailer trash style, we load up the SUV complete with furniture hanging out the back window and headed to the park. We get everything set up with just one minor deviled egg accident. They taste just as good smashed together as they do individually if you were wondering.
I had found this really great cushy ball at store early this week so early on had planned a family kickball tournament. I hadn’t played since I was a kid. It was sooo much fun!!! We played girls versus guys, which meant we got Grannie (my mom) and the boys had to take Ryann. She’s a girl but she’s seven and a girlie girl so they needed some kind of handicap. The only rules were you couldn’t peg Ryann or Grannie with the ball. Mom got offended for being singled out so we revised it that you couldn’t hit her in legs. If she wants to take ball in the head so be it but she’s old and I didn’t want her to fall and break a hip or something.
The sad end to the tournament is that the girls lost. But watching Grannie run her skinny little chicken legs around the bases was priceless. And I do want to point out that I almost had Chad’s fly ball in outfield. The sun got in my eyes. No really!!! I swear. And did I mention I was sick. We want a rematch.
Just a quick detour from Mother’s day festivities….
A few quick notes about my mother. She is one of the most infuriating, funny, annoying, generous, irritating, witty, frustrating, caring people I know. Does everyone feel that way about their mom or just me? As I age I find that I’m probably more like my mom than I want to admit in the good and bad ways. I used to think that I got my strength from my dad but as I get older I realize my strength comes from my mom.
Mom has not had easy life. She did not have a fair start, she’s made her share of bad decisions, she’s had some bad circumstances but she’s still here doing her best day by day. Mom bends, sometimes she’s bent flat but she doesn’t break. My dad was stoic and appeared strong but he was also rigid. He couldn’t bend the way mom does. Ultimately I think that makes her stronger. She is under appreciated by her children who continue to depend on her and lay their problems at her door. I wished she’d just focus on herself and not the decisions we make, good or bad. We will all figure it out or learn the lessons we are supposed to from our mistakes and there’s not much should can or should do to change it. She’s done her best to compensate for whatever real or perceived parenting mistakes she’s made. She’s doesn’t have to try anymore.
My mother used (and sometimes still) embarrasses me because she can and will talk to anyone and everyone. People just relate open up to her. My nieces are going back to the school district my mother lives in. Mom takes Ryann to and from school. We passed her one morning talking to the crossing guard. Want a ride home, I yell at her. She waves us on and we go on down the street. On the way back we notice Granny just bouncing down the street like something out of Mary Poppins with cartoon birds singing on her shoulder and tiny rabbits frolicking around her feet. I stop to ask, Mom are you drinking already this morning! But no, she’s just on her natural high having spent the morning talking to the teachers, the lunch lady, the neighbors down the street, the man walking his dog and the crossing guard, in all less than 2 blocks! I can spend 4 hours around town on a Saturday afternoon and not say more than dozen words to another person! It is when I’m more like my mother and I open to people is that I’m at my best.
Ok back to picnic…
We did some batting practice. Mom and I actually kicked butt! She actually hit more and farther than I did. I think she could have been a good athlete. I might have got that from her too. Though it’s a little bit scary we were so good at softball All the lesbians I know play softball. What if I’ve been playing the wrong sport (soccer) and chasing the wrong sex! But that would make mom a lesbian too… Aggghh to much to contemplate.
The rest of the afternoon has a blast and were all completely and worn out. Even my 15 year old niece in a rare offering of support from a melodramatic teenager said, “I can’t believe it I actually had fun with my family”. No higher compliment is possible.
Chaddy and I came home and he mowed the yard, put away the dishes and gave me my mother’s day’s gifts. He wrote me the sweetest letter that I hope to blog with his permission. I think this was the best Mother’s day ever.
