“You have your Mother’s eyes.”  I have been told this so many times over the times of my life when I have met or been introduced to people, which is ironic, since we seldom if ever saw anything the same way.  However, since today is my Mother’s birthday, I think it is high time I admit that several things on which we often, if not always disagreed, are in fact, exactly right.

My sister and I spent our early childhood in a rather modern 70’s style home, with white carpeting and white furniture…it is my belief that I “keep house” in the way that I do because of my Mother, and for that, I thank her.  My home is my castle, despite it’s rather small, by today’s standards, size, and I owe her thanks for that feeling of pride that I have of this space.  I reluctantly made my bed every day from the time I was about four-years-old, because she told me it is nice to come back home after a day to a tidy room, and there needs to be a place for everything, and everything in its place.   She was right, and I ALWAYS now make my bed, and ALWAYS make sure that things are where they “belong” and for that I thank her.  I reluctantly filled the dishwasher as a child because she told me a kitchen looks dirty even when it’s clean if dishes are ever left in the sink.  She was right, I never leave the house or go to bed with used dishes in the sink, and for that I thank her.  Although I fought her every step of the way as a child, it is because of her care and manner of keeping a home that I am the kind of woman I am today, and for that I thank her.

My Mother and I butted heads over the years about SO much, but the older I get, the more I find, I am quite a bit like her in many ways.  All she ever wanted out of life was a happy marriage and a healthy family and a beautiful home.  No matter what I “wish” for or “dream of” it seems that those “simple” desires are ultimately what now also make me the most content.  My sister and nephew and brother-in-law live next door to my parents, and my daughter, granddaughters, and son-in-law live next door to me.  I currently have a deeply  loving relationship and a healthy family and a beautiful home, and these things make me so happy, & the older I get the more I find, I don’t need much else, and for that I thank her.

When my daughter was little my mother so often would say, after I had punished the child in some way, “oh come here…” and would dote and love and smooch & cuddle and spoil my daughter and that would make me SO MAD, you know, the love of Gram totally counteracting my immediately forgotten discipline…but fast forward these years, and you KNOW I am very happy to spoil these wee-ones next door and pretty much give them all the love and smooching and spoiling that I so choose 😉  I suppose, I learned that from my Mother too…I learned how to love others, and for that, perhaps more than anything, I thank her.