Ladies of the Land

This is my sister D'Aunn presenting my Mom with flowers on a Mother's Day many years ago.

On this Mother's Day, I would like to honor a group of women I like to call "The Ladies of the Land."  They consist of not only my mother, my daughter, my aunts, sisters, and nieces but of all of the women in my life, past and present.  I want to thank and honor not only my mother, but all of the women who make up a small, but critically important circle of support; support and love that I have had the privilege of receiving my whole life long.

These women sail through their lives and mine while doing that "limping-one-minute-carrying-the-next" thing that women do.  I have conferred with one or the other of them about bumps and moles, teachers, carbs and stained rugs.  Together we have worried about who seems down, who looks happy, and who has lost their figure and/or their mind.  Many have offered guidance when I'm spiritually perplexed, held my hand through heart-breaking loss, and celebrated with me in times of great joy.  They can tell something is wrong by the way I say "Everything is fine," and have lived their ordinary lives with extraordinary grace and strength while teaching me how to star in my own life.  If I killed someone, they would show up with shovels and help me bury the body - accessory after the fact be damned.  They have rallied around me and held me up when I was bringing a new life into the world and stood beside me and honored the memory of a loved one as they left this world.

More often than not, over the past forty-five years, I have been the fortunate recipient of wisdom passed out around kitchen tables while questioning the pros and cons of parenting, marriage, Spanx, government, and the minutia of life in general.  My life has been built upon the bones of these conversations and I find myself referring back to these talks for answers. My life would not have been as full or as happy without the influence of all of these women and I am immensely grateful for the education, love, and comfort they have provided for me.

I love you all more than you can ever know,
LeAnn

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Mom's the Word

A photo of my beautiful Mother in her 30s

One of my roles, as a suburban mother, is to deliver my children "here," "there," and then "here" again, because we forgot where "there" was. When I delivered my daughter and son obstetrically, I had counted on those being the last times I would have to be as anxious about getting my children safely to their desired destination (my loving arms in this instance). But, if my 15-year career as a mother has taught me anything, it is that that would not be the first time I would be sorely mistaken! And today, I'm fully aware that "Deliverance," is not just a movie title!

My darling Mother taught me, by example, that being a mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in the world, since the payment is pure love. Growing up in a single parent household for much of my life, I had an unusually unique perspective on this business of "mothering." My Mom is the type of person who upon seeing that there were only four pieces of fried chicken for five people, would promptly announce that she never did care much for poultry, just so there would be enough for her four children. My Mom is and was, all about making her kids feel safe and loved. The stresses of resolving the housing, clothing, and medical issues that arose on an already burdened teacher's salary, was her own private burden. That task was complete only when her babes were emotionally and physically fed, bathed, read-to, firmly snuggled and lovingly tucked into bed, and asleep!

Although I have never had to endure the hardships of being solely responsible for clothing, feeding, nurturing, and educating my children, I am SO my mother's daughter. At first glance you would never guess it! My Mother looks nothing like you might expect an Amazon High Priestess' Mom to look like. I'm 6'1" and my Mother hovers somewhere around 5'6" or 5'7"(at her tallest). When we pose together for a photograph, it looks much like I've invaded Middle Earth and have taken the Shire's matriarch hobbit hostage - she's intimately familiar with my arm pits and I with the cowlick she has at her crown. Yet, another place where we vastly differ, is in our culinary skills. My Mom is a repository for all things delicious and knows how to cook everything to perfection. I, on the other hand, get Christmas cards from all the take out joints within a 5-mile radius of our house and am the proud godmother to more than one of our pizza delivery guy's children. But my sarcastic sense of humor, now THAT, you can thank her for! My Mom can take any scenario and make it a worst-case in about five seconds flat (although most of her concerns typically do materialize). I, on the other hand, tend to be a little too trusting of the universe and get blind-sided by some unforeseen glitch in my plans.

She always has crossed the way-too-much-information-threshold, but, has graciously given me the privilege of returning the favor. That has resulted in my feeling at ease to let her know everything that I have done, said, was thinking of doing or saying, etc. I feel sure, however, that there have been times when she wished I were not so forthcoming with the intimate details of, let's say, an evening out with "Mr. Jack Daniels", and the Mexican food "brooch" that I affixed to her nightgown that promptly followed. (You've simply not lived until you have thrown up on your Mother!)

Even when I felt the need to drop the "F-bomb" throughout all of my speech in high school, my Mom was patient, and requested that I only use that word when I really meant it. Well, Mommy, you will be glad to know that I've grown, and matured and don't feel the need to use that particular expletive to tell you - I'm the luckiest "Mother-******" on the planet!

...And I really meant that!!!
Happy Mother's day Mommy, I love you all the molecules!