Happy Mother’s Day!

My intentions for this post was going to be scanning pictures of my mom and grandmothers but. . . a nap sounded so good this afternoon and after that the day went by fast. . . I will blame Wookie for his insistence on cuddling and napping.

To say that my mom and I are polar opposites would be like saying the sky is blue and the grass is green. It is obvious that her youngest seems to be outside of the box in terms of temperament, tastes and choices. I like to say I took after my Popa (mom’s dad) and of course the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in terms of my dad and I. But I think she appreciates just how different I am even when I keep her full of worry.

While I would have no problem with packing up and moving to Washington DC or NYC, neither city holds any charms for my mom. She likes the small town vibe whereas I am all about being in the middle of the hustle and bustle. I have no issues with hopping on the interstate for a quick trip back to Nashville, she would prefer to avoid any and all interstates. I am loud, love to try new things and have been known to let certain choice words fly out of mouth.

But she is my mom and moving away allowed us to get closer. I talk to her daily, make fun of dad with her and often say things that while she may think them, she would never say. She has saved my ass more than I care to count in terms of support, love and money. She fishes for information about my love life, well, lack thereof and while I don’t like to open up about that very often, I have gotten better about it.

While I know I frustrate her, drive her mad sometimes and on occasion, probably make her question if I am really hers (but if you look at as, she can’t deny me, nor can my dad) but with all my quirks, she still loves me. And while I don’t tell her often enough, I love her too. One of these days I will give you a grandkid that doesn’t have fur nor smacks at you. . .

Granny, mom’s mom, was a tough nut to crack. I got lucky being the last grandkid and got tons of one on one attention and love. I tried to pick up her cooking skills and some have stuck. She played second fiddle to Popa but as time went on, I got to appreciate her and all that she had gone through. I have pictures of her before I was even thought up, sitting at the kitchen table, cigarette and coffee in hand, smiling, laughing. And I just went through photos of us and could see the love she had for me. Even when she mentioned I had gained too much weight or that she thought my tattoo was trashy. And I still have that very first Cabbage Patch Kid that she lucked upon one Christmas at Target.

Grandmother, dad’s mom, was a happy person in that very traditional role of housewife and mom. She hugged, laugh and never learned how to drive! Something that I had forgotten about! I remember in a pinch, she would keep me when I was sick and there were no childcare options. I also remember her last summer, the one before she passed. She mentioned her wedding dress, how the veil had been stepped on by her dad but the dress was fine, just hanging out in the house. A treasure that now lives in my closet.

And then I look to my friends, too many to mention but I will say this, Stacey, I am so happy and proud that you have that cute little boy in your arms and another one watching over you in Heaven. You are a fab mom! Sonia, Little Lady will soon be here and I know that you will be a great mom to her. I am so excited to meet her and once she is older tell her about our times at the frat house. . .

And to all my friends that have furkids (and scaly ones too!) Happy Mother’s Day! We may not be very traditional when it comes to our kids but we love them just the same. Now I have to go have a talk with my little man, seems he totally forgot to get me a card this year.