My mom and I are a pair. One minute we can be the best of friends and the next moment one of us is going all Dark Phoenix on the other. My dad likes to joke that there's too much estrogen flowing between us. I think it is because my mom and I are super close and as such we know how to push each other's buttons. It might have to also deal with the fact that I now live with my parents again and this only means that my mom's premonitions of us turning out like Grey Gardens will be coming true. (I really don't know what to think of that.)
Actually all kidding aside, I am very fortunate to have my mom in my life. We nearly lost her almost 11 years ago to a brain aneurysm. It was a terrifying ordeal and one that I still can't believe happened. My mom is a fighter though, even before all that scary stuff with brain surgery and the works, my mom has been a fighter. She has always done everything in her power to make a great life for my brother and me (my dad too.) My mom is also one of the funniest people I know.
We both have a cackle. And when either one of us starts laughing there is no stopping us. The cackling just goes on and on. She's also really goofy. Don't let my mom's southern belle attitude fool you. She loves nothing more than being a ham.
My mom also believes in thinking highly of her children. Wherever I go with my mom, she insists on telling everyone, "This is my daughter! Isn't she gorgeous?" At dinner Saturday night we got to see a familiar face at the restaurant and all my mom could say was, "Have you met my daughter? Isn't she so beautiful? Feel her skin, it is so soft!" I mean, yes, it is highly embarrassing, but at the same time I feel so loved that my mom says such nice things about me.
I also am very fortunate to have my mom's sister in my life. We call her Auntie. She is like a second mom, sister, and best friend. Their mother is my Nana and my dad's mom is just called Grandmother. All of these women are so important in my life and such a source of strength. I love them and even though I wasn't there for them on Mother's Day, I think about and celebrate these great women all the time. They inspire me and I hope that if I ever have children of my own one day, that I will continue to pass along the love and strength that I have received from them.
I could go into other topics and issues about this weekend and Mother's Day, but I won't. I will say though, it is hard being single again. Now that my husband is no longer my husband, I find myself still sad and grieving over the loss of my in-laws that I no longer see. I communicate every once in awhile, but it is hard. I also am reminded (as with most family functions) that the life I thought I was building is no longer there. I don't know if I am going to have a family of my own one day. And that makes me sad. However! Don't cry for me Etheria! I truly am going to be fine. I have so much love around me and I am inspired by the love of so many other people. I love seeing other people happy and full of their own family stories. It gives me hope, and that is truly what keeps me going.
So, I want to share some photos of the "moms" in my life. Most of these are from a few years ago, so enjoy a non-toy set of pictures! (I don't do this often, but I know that some of you enjoy seeing this other side of me. So enjoy!)
Generations of some cool women! (Me, my mom, my Nana and Auntie!)
See what I mean? My mom loves to be goofy!
My brother, mom, and me! Wearing our sunglasses at... daytime!
I think she was on an important phone call...
Totally goofy, and that is why she is a beautiful person.
My Auntie! Her real name is Marsha. But even when I am 76, she will always be Auntie.
My grandmother (dad's mom.)
My grandmother hates taking pictures, but I think she is really photogenic.
This is my mom's mom. I love that she believes with all her heart that women of a particular age must go blond.
And here we are again! I believe this was Mother's Day 2012.
Anyways, enjoy the photos and get ready folks! I have some fun stuff in store. Toy stories are going to heat up and I will be posting something very soon about a way in which you all can participate in a big event coming up this Summer! Stay tuned and I hope you are all doing well!
Looks like you all had a great time!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was a nice time! I really enjoyed my time with them, and in those photos, those were some really great Mother's Days too.
DeleteI felt the same way after my divorce. But if you want to have a family someday, you will. That probably sounds like a worthless platitude, but it is probably the simplest and truest thing someone can say.
ReplyDeleteHey Don! I don't think it is a worthless platitude at all. I thank you for the comment, that means a lot. I hope that it comes to pass one day. I hope that you are doing well!
DeleteI think it goes without saying that Moms are important, but it also bears repeating as often as possible.
ReplyDeleteMy mom's birthday is actually on the 10th, so we usually end up doing a birthday/Mother's Day combo so as to avoid restaurant crowds that pour in on that particular Sunday.
My mom is one of five sisters, all of whom have very similar sounding names: Tami, Terri, Traci, Trini and Tori. Gee whiz, my mom can barely keep "Erik" and "Matt" straight, I can't imagine what it must have been like to call on one of five kids who are only distinguished by different vowels. Really, I've never understood parents who name all their kids with the same letter of the alphabet. Its just means you can never mark anything with initials.
As a single fellow, lately I've been thinking what its like to married. Not just in the sharing your life with someone else kind of way, but in the "now you're a part of someone else's family" kind of way. I just think of that scene from "Up" were we see the contrast between Ellie's jubilant family and Carl's more reserved relatives. Yikes.
These are some good photos. I especially like this one of you photobombing your mom's phone call. Its just so fun.
That's cool that you guys do a double combo for your mom. And that's a lot of sisters! I can't even imagine! My mom gets my brother's and my name swapped all the time. They both start with an M and we've just always had that, which is why I think my parents have always had a nickname for me because it has changed. lol
DeleteIt is an interesting process to join two families together. If there is one thing I miss about my time with my ex husband it would be his family. I really clicked with them ,and with things being over they are not really in my life like they were. It's sad, but it is what it is.
I loved Up. It was such a great and fantastic movie. Having to start all over now, I do think about that idea of joining with someone else's family. If I ever find love again I am sure that will happen, and it makes me nervous to be thinking about that stuff. One of my biggest hang ups is that I worry that people aren't going to like me. I hate it. But I like being liked by people. I don't mean in a popular "make me prom queen" kinda like, but having been on the end of rudeness and cruelty, I certainly like being liked. lol If that makes sense.
And I sooo love the photobombing in that picture with my mom. She was on an important phone call and I was just being a little shit. lol
Up is a movie I have mixed feelings about. Literally. The opening is heartwarming and ultimately tragic, but when we get to the narrative theres this weird back and forth between slapstick comedy and the otherwise Charles Muntz character suddenly becoming a violent murderer man, which itself felt wholly out of place. Points for creativity as I can't think of another movie like it, but it only does so much for me.
DeleteI can relate somewhat to the hang up of finding love again. I was kind of a late bloomer until around college, so I never expected to ever be in any sort of romantic relationship until I became friends with Gracie and we had a pretty steady thing going on until she said "Its not you, its me" and left the country. I figured that was the end until my friend and neighbor Olivia asked me out only for that the end the same way. Throw in one crazy stalker that one time and I feel like I just need to accept that a love life is never gonna happen to me and move on. It sounds defeatist for sure, but its one of many things that hangs over me like a vulture.
Much of my time has been spent since I trying a find a steady job and a community that "gets" me. Not just the geeky interests, but other creative types who I can work off of. Thats probably why I come back here so often.
Hey Erik. Yeah I do agree, there were parts of Up that worked and parts that were a little off. I do like it, but I think in terms of my favorite Pixar movies, it goes to either Brave (I love the dynamic between mom and daughter) the Toy Story films (for obvious reasons) and Wall-E. Wall-E is probably number one if only because I love his search for belonging. I relate to it a lot.
DeleteI feel the same way about love and things like that. I am a train wreck in that department. But yeah, it hangs over my head to. It's the one thing that feels like I have absolutely no control over. I may not have the perfect job yet, but I can do something about that and I am. I can also do something about making friends and things like that too. However, when it comes to love, that just feels like it is sooo out of my control and I feel uncomfortable with that.
I am glad though that you are able to come back here and work off the creative fun. I feel the same way about your blog. I get behind, but I love catching up and seeing what you are up to. I hope you are doing well!
Speaking of which, I was upset that you weren't on last week's Geek Fallout with their Top 5 Animated Movies topic. Would have loved hear you spread some "Mermaid" love. (Note to self: "Mermaid Love" would be a great name for a band)
DeleteToy Story was one of the first movies I remember seeing in the theater as a kid, and even re-watching it as an adult I find that it still holds up, especially the ending.
I wish I had some piece of advice I could pass on from my experience of searching for that kind of belonging, but sadly I don't. But when times are tough, it makes our collective creative endeavors seem all the sweeter!
Speaking of seeing what I'm doing, I've got quite a bit on my plate that I need to get back to soon. Always a pleasure to catch up with you as well!
You and your mom look very much alike so too very lovely and beautiful gals.
ReplyDeleteThank you John! That is a very nice compliment. I hope you are doing well.
DeleteAwwww... what a nice post! I hope your mom and all the other moms in your life had a great mother's day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Derek! I hope you had a nice Mother's Day too, even though this comment sees us in June. lol
DeleteI like nothing better than seeing pictures of beautiful ladies and it looks like classy and pretty is the gene that runs in your family. Even your brother has those cheekbones.
ReplyDeleteHey Kal! Thank you so much for the compliment. And yes, the cheek bones run in the family for sure. lol My brother gets the best ones too. lol
DeleteIf I were your mother I'd be showin you off, too! What a beautiful line of women you come from.... As far as the sad stuff, yep that's a real hurt.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. Much love to you, sweet lady :) Much, much, much love!
Oh Laura that was such a nice thing! I just adore you. Always putting a smile on my face. I hope you are doing well. Much, much, much love to you and yours!
Deletenice sweet post there. for can now see where you get your charm and sense of humor from miss m. espically love the picture of your cool mother doing the devil horns. and have fate that you will have a family of your own if nothing else to add another generation to your family for sooner or later the right guy will come along and go i can't let this lovely lady miss m go for i would be a fool too.
ReplyDeleteThanks demoncat! Yeah, my mom loves being a ham. So those devil horned finger ears are a fun thing of hers. lol She loves doing all kinds of faces in pictures. lol And thanks, I hope the right guy will come along at some point. Hope all is going well!
DeleteYour mother is indeed correct, she has a beautiful daughter! But why, with all these southern belles in the family, do you have zero southern-ness in your voice! When I listened to that podcast I don't even think I ever heard a y'all!
ReplyDeleteBTW Weren't you going to do another podcast? I haven't read all your recent posts, and I am sorry for that, but I do remember you saying you were gonna do another podcast. Did that already happen?
As far as mommas go, I'm always gonna be a mommas boy. Just like my dad was for his mom. May not be the most desirable quality that girls look for in their guys, but fuck it. No matter how sexy the lady, my number one lady will always be mom.
Thanks Nick. I do break out in some southern charm. I do! It happens rarely, but it does happen.
DeleteAnd I am on a regular podcast, the Geek Fallout Podcast. A new episode comes out every week. It's a lot of fun.
That's nice that you are a momma's boy. I think it is nice when guys care and have respect for their moms. I hope you are doing well!!