This is my first Mother’s Day without my mother, who passed earlier this year. Our relationship was not always perfect—as is the case in all parent-child relationships. I learned much about forgiveness and forgiving with my mother. I would not be who I am without the good and the bad of our relationship—as well as the many other relationships and interactions in my life.
My younger sister has been going through the wealth of photographs saved by my mother and it has been a trip down memory lane. We forget many of the details of our parents in their younger years—like I had forgotten how tall my mother was (she was quite kyphotic in her later years. I remembered how she loved to sew—and how, being the only boy, I escaped the matching outfits my sisters got to wear.
My mother saves a box of old sports programs, memorabilia, and artwork from my youth. I wonder why some of it was saved—what it meant to her—like a letter from my college dorm RA with the list and addresses of the guys assigned to Borman Hall-C or a note and assignment from Mr. Colley’s Health class at Jay Neff Middle School. Much of it certainly had some greater meaning to her than to me.
I am grateful for my mother. I am grateful for the memories and for who I am—and who my sisters are. Mother’s Day is different this year. I am sure I will miss calling my mom the Sundays to come and hearing her talk about how much she loves the flowers and how they are still fresh. I am grateful for the nearly 58 years of memories and for who I am today.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!