Mom

The night before my birthday last month I cried and cried and cried because I miss my mom.

She's still with us but Alzheimer's has her attention now more than I ever will again.

I completed another 100 Days Project not long ago.  Before it began, I had to come up with an idea (obviously).  I ended up calling it Surface Area and photographing a different surface, up close, every day for 100 days.

I was going to call it Remembering Mom and so began compiling a list of memories I have of her from growing up.  I enlisted the help of my siblings, too.  Please correct me if any of this is wrong.  And add a memory or two!

Remembering Mom
She was 21 when she got married.
She was 23 when she had me.
My older sister is older by a mere 14 months.
She is an only child.
Her dad was a sign painter.
Her mom is a nurse.
Her dad died of cancer.
Her mom is 94.
Her aunt died with Alzheimer's
She raised 4 children; my dad travelled a lot when we were little.
She was a figure skater as a child.
She taught me card games; we'd play before dinner.
She hated to iron; I'd do it for her.
She learned to cook after she married my dad.
She sang in the choir.
I loved her chocolate chip cookies.
She once tripped down the stairs and spilled spaghetti and meatballs everywhere and sprained her ankle.
She was a collector of many things.
She always had lots of friends.
She and my dad used to entertain often.
They had popcorn every Sunday night.
We always had a few family pets but she didn't like them much, or not for very long.
She used to talk on the phone for a long time.
She always made my bed first thing at camp, college, my new room.
She played tennis.
She's had the same hair stylist for at least 30 years.
She used to smoke.
She cries as easily as I do.
She has been to Ethiopia on a missions trip with my dad.
She was the first nurse at West Bay Christian Academy.
She took us to the Town Beach every single day as children; we loved it!
She was a prolific writer of cards and letters.  My sister's friends called her "the card queen".
I heard her say "wait until your father gets home" a lot.
She served us grilled cheese and tomato soup every Saturday afternoon for a very long time.  I hate both to this day.
She was an avid reader.
She loves to laugh.
She took us to the library in the summer.
She used to cook us spam.
She loves her coffee!
She would stand at the window during snowstorms looking out for my dad and then play and sing "You Light Up My Life" when he'd walk in the door.
She loves music.
She loved to sunbathe.
She used to teach bible studies.
She was chairwoman of committees at church.
She used to put notes in our lunch bags.
She would tape the nickel for milk to our napkin.
She once wrapped our Christmas presents in white paper and beautifully stencilled every single one of them.
She would take us girls to the Nutcracker ballet at Christmastime.

I'd give anything to be able to call her and have a chat.  Or open the mailbox and see her handwriting on a card.  Or to hug her and have her hug me back.  Yes, I'm thankful she's still there to hug but... now the hugs still leave me lonely for my mom.