Fifty and Holding: My Mother's Day

Hello all, hope everyone has had a good week. My week has not been very exciting. However, yesterday was my son’s birthday, and it got me to thinking….

I know that Mother’s day is usually sometime in May, but my Mother’s Day is different. You see my Mother’s Day is June 30, the day that my son Jerome was born. His birthday was yesterday, and he turned 29. My husband and I went to visit with him and treat him to dinner. I always love getting a chance to see my only child. On the way home I thought about the joy that he brings me as a son. Twenty nine years ago he was born. I remember when he looked at me for the first time. One of his eyes was a little red, and I remember thinking that he looked at me like he knew me. I mean here was this new life that would for a while, depend on me for everything. In one moment we connected, mother to child with a love that would never go away. Some women may fear motherhood, but I embraced it. You see I realized that this was pure, unadulterated, unconditional, love. I knew that my goal was to love, protect, nourish, and to grow him up into a decent caring human being. I will not tell you that either of us is perfect, but we share that sacred mother and child bond.

I recall a time when he was about 8 years old. He had gotten sick and thrown up a little on his pants. The school nurse called and said that my son needed a change of clothes. I didn’t drive at the time, however I was lucky enough to work downtown where I could go buy him a pair of pants and also catch the city bus to his school. I scrambled around, bought the pants, hopped on the bus and proceeded to go “rescue” my son. I had also brought him a little something to eat because I knew he’d be hungry. He was in the nurses’ office waiting for me. When I got there he looked up at me tearfully and asked “what took you so long?” I explained that dad was out of town on a day trip, and that I’d taken the bus. I got him changed and handed him some lunch. He looked up at me with those little boy eyes and said “Thanks mom,” just simply “Thanks mom,” and gave me a hug. My heart was filled with the warmth of my child’s love. That’s what it feels like to be truly appreciated. My son ate his lunch and then dashed off to class. I’ll never forget that moment. I pray that if I’m ever stricken with Alzheimer’s, that God will grant me at least the remembrance of that one thought. I want to always remember how it felt to be appreciated, loved, and needed by my child.

Over the years my son has grown into a fine young man. And it still brings me joy when he’s happy. When he was a child sometimes I’d hear him whistling as he played in his room. It always made me smile, because I knew he was happy, content. He still whistles and I still smile when he does it because I know it means that he is content. The difference now however, is that I cannot “rescue” him as I did when he was a little boy. I can only pray that I’ve equipped him with the necessary tools to overcome life’s obstacles. Yet, I am satisfied that his love for me as his mother will never go away, and that one day he will get that same wonderful feeling of love when he has children of his own. Yes, June 30, every year, is Mother’s Day for me. It represents the joy of being a mother.

Well friends, with a holiday weekend just around the corner, most are probably looking forward to a little
R & R. Enjoy the holiday. You be safe, and let’s talk again really soon, nite!

Fifty and Holding: Lessons Learned

Hello friends, I hope that you at least had a restful weekend. I actually went to a birthday party with a friend and her daughters. It was a karaoke birthday party, and it was fun. It was just nice to get out for a change. While there, my friend and I were able to sit and chat a bit. We talked about our lives and just did a little catching up. As we talked, it dawned on me that I really have learned some things over the years. Here is a list of some of those things that came to me when I pondered over my lessons learned.

1. The first is that everyone can't be your friend, and that's ok, everyone isn't good friend material. 
2. All is not fair, in love and war or at the shoe sale when you can't find the mate to the shoe that you want.
3. Good guys don't always finish first, there's always some bad guy waiting around the corner to trip you up.
4. The more people that you know, the more potential that there is for drama.
5. Working hard will not always get you ahead, but it will get you a paycheck.
6. After 50, each lb that you gain is really actually 5 pounds.
7. That skin under your neck is there to stay. ( Gobble, Gobble baby!)
8. It's not always hot outside when you're hot inside.
9. Yes, that hair turns grey too!
10. The heartthrobs of yesterday, are the grandfathers of today.(just ask Billy Dee)

I've learned many things over the years and I've given you just a few of them. However, there is one thing that it has taken me all of my fifty two years to wrap my mind around. Pay attention, because I know that some of you may not have reached this level of consciousness. Perhaps you have, but then again maybe not. Ok here it is; You can't change a person, who doesn't want to change. Simple huh? However, so many times we find ourselves hoping, trying, working, to change someone whom we feel needs changing. The only person that I can truly change is me. You can only change you, and so on, and so on.  It's a simple thought, and even now I sometimes forget, but then I smile knowingly and say to myself, "I can only change me." Hey but knowing this doesn't stop my heartaches or help me to sleep better at night. It just helps me to understand and know. They say that knowing is half the battle... don't they?  I'm just sharing with you those things that cross my mind from time to time.  Use the comment area to share with me your lessons learned.

 

Good night friends, dream of all that makes you happy. Talk to you soon.