Mama’s Girl - project midlife

However, this time it was for me and it was from my Mom. I opened the box and it made me cry. This is what was inside. She has this set of bowls and when she brought something to my house in one of them I told her I liked it. So being the thoughtful person she is, she went out and got me a set and sent them. The bowls didn’t make me cry though, her note did. “Life is going way too fast for me. I wish we could spend more time together. Reading your blog has made me feel closer to you. You are very talented. You are in my prayers every day.”

I know that I’ve done a lot of things over the years that broke her heart. I have wandered away from the beliefs that are still very much a part of her life. I don’t visit as much as I should. I don’t call as often as I need to. I am not the world’s best daughter.

I can’t say how many times I’ve opened my mouth and her words come tumbling out. I guess one day my children will do the same.

The intangible things she did give us far outweigh anything material that we didn’t have. I grew up singing a hymn in chuch that goes:

There is beauty all around
When there’s love at home;
There is joy in ev’ry sound
When there’s love at home.
Peace and plenty here abide,
Smiling sweet on ev’ry side.
Time doth softly, sweetly glide
When there’s love at home.
Love at home, love at home;
Time doth softly, sweetly glide
When there’s love at home

I figured telling my stories and sharing my sometimes odd outlook on life would be something that could carry me in to the future. What I didn’t take in to account was how sharing these stories would also take me back. Back to my childhood, back to the people and places that formed me. And when I look back, the one constant, the rock of my life has been my sweet mother.

I love them.