On January 11, 1960 my mother was born. She was the 1st of two children and had a younger sister. She grew up and ended up with five children of her own. All girls. I am the oldest of those children. This photo was taken at my high school graduation in June 1998.
Mom and I had the typical mother/ teenage daughter relationship and fought regularly about everything. But even though there were many days I swore I hated her, I always knew she was there for me. she may have wanted to strangle me, but I knew she loved me.
I grew up, all kids do. As much as she tried to guide me from making the mistakes she did, the more I dove head first into them. She was there for me through bad relationships, an unexpected pregnancy, and the scary concept of being a single mom. When I finally found the right man, she was skeptical. She questioned me often about whether I was sure about him. When I got engaged, she was happy, but reserved. She finally warmed up to my husband at Christmas time in 2003, when she hugged him and thanked him for finally making me happy. We got engaged in April of 2004. Mom and I argued over every detail of what she referred to as my "Barefoot Hippie Wedding." But this photo shows her reaction as I walked down the aisle on May 20, 2005. I was so shocked when I saw it. I had no idea that she had cried.
This photo is of my husband and I with my mom taken on our wedding day. She wasn't one for getting her photo taken, but she is smiling.
Sadly, on June 9, 2005, just three weeks after my wedding, she was killed in a car accident. I remember being upset that she wouldn't get to see my wedding photos. Silly, I know, but she had called me several times that week to ask if they had come back yet.
She would have turned 46 today. She was, as much as I told her she was old, far too young to die. Though she had a short life, her influence will carry the memory of her far into the future and beyond.
I love you mommy.
2 comments:
I'm so sorry for your loss....
I have to admit that when I first started reading, it hit me that I was older than your mother, and was ready to make an issue of that. As I read on, I got a little tear thing going. The whole crying at the wedding did it to me.
I would think she'd like the way you've turned out!
os- thanks. Yeah, the crying got me too when I found out. Of course I found out after she was gone, so that didn't help much. I like to think she'd be glad I'm finally getting it together.
Oh, and the age thing? It's just a number. ;)
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