I am surprised to find that the things that come first to mind are hardly moments, and not really distinct in time, but a blending of thousands of moments to recreate the emotion I remember more concretely than any scene:
-sitting next to mom in church, especially while singing the hymns, and watching her "jot" down notes in her planner, probably what we would have for dinner that week. She would point out words in the songs and if they were comforting to her, she would write those in her planner too.
-pulling in the driveway and seeing her curls in the kitchen window; walking in the back door and having her look up at me from that same chair at the table, smiling a very particular smile.
-seeing her sitting at the end of the hall with her legs crossed in front of her, surrounded by stacks of mail and the newspaper.
-having her call me on her way home from work to see if I needed anything from the grocery store; going with Dave to meet her at the store, because for some reason we liked grocery shopping with her.
-cooking dinner together. watching her cook dinner from the table as I did my homework.
-Making beds together at the cabin.
-Hearing her laugh at parties.
-My endless fascination with the contents of her purse.
-Her stashes of candy throughout the house
-Watching her wash her face at night
-Singing at the piano; the earnest look on her face like it was business, and we
might as well be performing for the queen.
-Looking out the window on a spring morning and seeing her in the garden.
There are more--there will always be more.
5 comments:
Catherine- those are beautiful memories of your mother. I'm so glad you wrote them down.
of all the things she "jotted" in her planner (that was the exact right word - good job) I don't ever remember her jotting what we'd have for dinner that week. too constricting. grocery list, maybe. meal plans? doubtful.
I'm remembering her coming home from the grocery store in her biking shorts, to your complete and utter embarrassment that she'd actually go out in public wearing those things! and unloading groceries, that's a memory too. mopping the floor wearing that green dress and gold sandals on saturday (?) nights to James Taylor.
loved this. and what great pictures. the love is oozing from that hug. lets chat soon.
i had forgotton "jot"! how could i. esp. washing her face camping and the smell of dermalogica before it was mine, then mentholatum. so true about the grocery store. I do so many of those things, among them pointing out words and composers in the hymn book.
funny what marie wrote: ben and I were listening and singing along to JT last night, I told him how full of memories it was for me, coming up the back stairs into a warm, yellowy kitchen on saturday mornings with copperine playing and her at that same chair.
I love your mom. I think of her often. Thanks for your thoughts
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