2 years ago

So, am I going to reminisce about my mom every Mother's Day?  Of course I am.

2 years ago today, we were sitting in my mom's hospital room, watching my dad tell the same story to different visitors about why he wasn't responsible for my mom's stroke.

Well, in some ways he was.  As was my mom in a way for sticking with him all these years.  But, also, she was an emotionally abused wife, so she was a victim too, not fully in control.

Anyway, let's not delve much deeper into that train of thought, as it would be really more appropriate to post on the serious blog, rather than here.

So, how about a short walk down memory lane?  I feel like I've written about this before, but here I am writing about this again possibly....

Rax.  Do you know that old restaurant chain?  It had roast beef sandwiches.  Often, when my mom had been at work all day, and my dad too, and there was no dinner at home, my mom would take me through the Rax drive thru.  She would say, "Oh, poor, Kit-tee (that was a pet name), you must be starving.  So, I would get the Rax sandwich, or whatever it was called, and a chocolate chip shake.  Yes, chocolate chips.  And they were just the right size that they would fit through the straws, but sometimes they would get stuck and you would really have to suck to get them dislodged.

Express.  When my mom was on her hormone therapy, she would get these manic waves.  Sometimes we would go to the mall and go to Express.  I would try things on, and she would let me get a couple different things.  This was a big deal.  In our household, clothes weren't really bought unless there was a specific item of clothing that was needed for a specific reason.  Clothes were not bought just because we wanted them!  Of course when we came home with the clothes from the "shopping spree" we would have to sneak them in the house.

Driving Lessons.  I was terrified of having my dad teach me how to drive, so luckily my mom and driver's ed taught me.  I remember the first time that we went out on the streets.  We were on a residential street.  It started pouring.  I started freaking out and driving slower and slower.  But then my mom just told me to pull over.  So we sat there on the side of the street for a while until it rain let up.

Big Hugs.  Whenever I would go to see my parents, or they would come to visit, my mom would give me a big hug.  I loved that.  I miss that.