My mom the big gambler. She bet nickles when possible. If she won, she put her winning away, and stopped. It was entertainment for her.
Over this past week-end with my nieces, and sister in law, we laughed so hard I had to cross my legs, so I would not pee in my pants. It reminded me of my mother. I must have watched her do that. My mother laughed! She laughed often, and loud! It was such a nice reminder of her.
I grew up thinking I did not want to be like my mother. I did not want to be a ‘wife’ the way she was. I did not want to serve a man, the way she did. In my perception, she gave, and gave, and got nothing back. “Because I love him.”, was her response to my objections.
It might be time to look at the things I learned from my mother, and embrace the ones that fit me.
She was a good cook. She made ‘budget food’ taste great. She was always on a budget. She was always giving out her recipes. Cooking for the extended family on holidays, and baking. We ALWAYS had home baked goods in the house. When it was gone, she baked something else.
“Everything happens for a reason.” She would always say. She believed there was a plan.
Shw was incredibly smart. When I was learning grammar, it was easy. How would my mother say it? Any question I asked, 90% of the time she knew something about it, the other 10% of time, she had no problem saying, I don’t know. Then she would tell me who to ask. When she was 3 she followed her cousin to school, and the nuns decided to keep her in class. She graduated at 16.
She liked almost everyone! When she didn’t like someone, I don’t think they knew it, but I did. She had an annoyed look about her. It was so rare, it confused me.
Did you know my mother? What do you remember?
The Place Chicopee 