Many Sides

By Jennifer

Upon reading and enjoying the stories that all of you are blogging, I have come to the realization that my mom was a multi faceted person, with many different sides. I have also come to the realization how much she allowed her children to grow up to be the independent, educated people we each became.

My mother was never very affectionate, but had an amazing ability to say so much in very few words.    Some things I remember when I was little, but didn't realize at the time, helped form me into the person I am today. I recall the days my mom would wash the kitchen floor, and we would get so excited when she would wheel the kitchen table into the family room and bring in the chairs. We would then spend the next couple of hours pretending we were riding a rocket into outer space with chairs lying on the backside, or making forts out of the "new furniture". My mother never said a word as she spent the afternoon 5 feet away from us doing her spring cleaning.

I recall playing my Muppet Movie record and me and David getting behind our puppet theater and performing every song with our Muppet characters while my mother watched the whole thing, many, many times, never complaining or being irritated about seeing it again.

I recall watching my mother create many things with macrame, batiking, sewing clothes for my dolls, and teaching me at the same time. I don't recall my mother being very gushy with her words, but her actions spoke loud and clear.

When I was in the second grade, I made a needle point jewelry box for my teacher for a gift. My mom never said that it was pretty, or good job, but she told me my teachers initials to needlepoint on the top, and sewed the liner to the inside. I would periodically run in to my teacher over the years and she would tell me every time I saw her that the box was still on her nightstand beside her bed. My mother allowed my work to be my own pride and joy, without influencing me one way or another. She truly allowed us to be what we wanted to be, however and whenever we got there.

When I was 18, right before I went off to college she took me to Atlanta for her librarians convention. I was introduced to a mother I never knew I had. She was very outgoing, and funny, and giggly, and talkative. That side of her I see in a lot of other posts that her college friends have written about. That side did not appear often for me, but I'm now very grateful for knowing that she found and experienced much joy, as she was a very serious person at home.

My most cherished moments with my mom was in May when she began her final decline. The whole family gathered for a weekend, and my uncle came down. We sat around her room as my uncle told us stories I had never heard about her life. Those stories gave me a much clearer picture of how complex she had been through her life. I am also grateful for being able to be there for her during her last 2 weeks. Though she was not communicating, she would open her eyes and look at me, and I knew she was glad someone was there, but she still fought hard. I think there was a point she wanted or thought she needed to pass on when no one was there, but I don't think she realized I could be even more stubborn than her and I wasn't going to let her go alone, and when she became aware that I wasn't going anywhere, she left so very quietly and peacefully.

There is so much more I could say, but I will end with I miss her.

 I am thankful for all of you who have honored her by blogging and drinking a cup of tea in her honor today. Happy Birthday Mom!