Mumma and Li-Li (4 years ago, maybe?)
Annie and Gigi.
The only mothers it is safe to forget on Mother's Day are the good ones. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
It's a good thing that all the mothers I know are good ones. See, I don't forget the important days so much as I don't get things together in enough time to do something about it.
Of course MY mom is the most important and best mom in the world. After all, she made me carob-chip wheat germ cookies when we were little! (Hey mom , do you still have that recipe? It was really good except for that carob part. Lots of butter and a nice sandy texture.) And she sent my sister to get piano lessons at a woman's house (Heather Halstead?) who kept owls and made her own yogurt! (Is it true that there was bird shit everywhere?) My mom's the one who comes to take care of me, even now, at the drop of a hat when she's needed. Gallbladder surgery, major depression--you name it. She bought me Zork for our Apple ][+ (A trendsetter, she was.) Thanks for taking me to the farmer's market, Mom.
My Sea Star is also on my top list of fave moms. Her Three Sons are so cute and nice I can barely barely (stand it). See, that's the thing. Annie has a fantastic sense of humor, and makes up her own language. I can't tell you how many of my friends now say things that began with an Annieism. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be Stew. Or Tiny Cutie. Or Nen. Or Little Juan. Or any number of the zillion nicknames she's made for me. Her boys haven't escaped this, of course, nor would I want them to have. She's the Big Jose to my Little Juan.
Tiny Grandma (nickname courtesy of Anko as well) is the powerhouse, though. She's going to be 90 in January, my sweet grandma. I love love love her so much. Gram, Gigi, Izzy, Zet, Izetta. She's the best. I really wish I had more time to just sit and talk with her, because Gram has the best stories ever. We can talk about anything. She taught me to sprinkle sugar on a lettuce leaf from the garden, roll it up and eat it. She always had Chef Boyardee ravioli for me, as well as sugar cereals in the tiny boxes you could make into bowls. And a garden. Yum. Gram also taught me how to peel the fibrous membrane away from a shelling pea's pod to make it edible. She showed me wintergreen in the forest.
Keashie is my other mom. I'm not sure I know many people who are more down to earth than she is. It was really interesting growing up with a stepmother. The relationship, in my case, walked the line between parent, aunt, and friend. Not having the traditional parent role takes some of the pressure off, I think. At least from my point of view it did.
Many of my friends are moms. I salute you, Nem, Pinky, JeniQ, jj, Nemoid, Jisook, Nicole, Marianne, minty, Helene, Alexia, Clella, Maggie, Peaceable Imperatrix, and anyone else I inadvertently leave off.
Brenna, KW, Ols--you're all about to become moms for the first time. Savor it, even when you curse the late nights and nipple chafing.
Love,
Stew
An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. ~Spanish Proverb
No one in the world can take the place of your mother. Right or wrong, from her viewpoint you are always right. She may scold you for little things, but never for the big ones. ~Harry Truman
No one in the world can take the place of your mother. Right or wrong, from her viewpoint you are always right. She may scold you for little things, but never for the big ones. ~Harry Truman
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