Mommy Go Bye-Bye

GrandMaMa left this afternoon. I didn't cry when I said goodbye, nor did I have a meltdown. I usually have one MEGA meltdown each time she visits. Not so much due to anything she says or does, but due to my own insecurities. Well okay, a little bit is due to what she says. We had a very nice visit - emotional in so many ways.

Thursday night my son graduated from middle school. There were 30 kids in the graduating class. The Principal had an anecdote for each kid, relating to their 6th, 7th or 8th grade years. When it came time for Jacob's anecdote, she went alllll the way back to kindergarten. He was in Extended (After School) Care and the teacher had brought them to the gym to watch a basketball game. My little angel broke from the group and began to run up and down the sides of the court (while the game was being played), yelling "it's wedgie time!" The kids in the stands thought it was hysterical, which only made him yell louder. The Principal took him by the arm and told him to sit down. He said to her, "I don't even like you." And she said to him, "And I don't like what you're doing. Sit down." He sat down.

The school made a CD of each 8th grader telling their parents and family how much they loved them, and saying thank you for the opportunity to attend this school. My eyes filled with tears when my son said, "Mom, thank you for your humor." He said other things too, but the humor part really touched me. From what I understand, there is a veil between us and those who have gone to heaven. So I guess Jacob's grandfather would not have been able to see his grandson, then...and now. He would be so proud. This quirky sense of humor has come down through the generations.

The ceremony was held in the chapel of the school. There was prayer to open the ceremony, and prayer to close the ceremony. And mention of God throughout the ceremony. Our Creator, unwelcome in the public school, is glorified and worshipped at this school. I never take that for granted, and neither does my son.

His kindergarten teacher was there, and she wrote a special letter to each of the 15 kids she had taught so long ago. His first grade teacher did the same. And it meant so much to us that GrandMaMa was able to share this night.

Thank you Mom, for your unconditional love even when I was not easy to love. Thank you for your wisdom, your no-nonsense way of doing things, and thank you most of all for teaching me that motherhood is not for the squeamish. Here are a few other things my mother taught me:

If you lose too many battles, you will lose the war.
Prayer works.
Kids need to know their place - it makes them feel secure.
Children are the beloved parasites.
Ask a lot of questions.
Motherhood is very serious business.
Count your blessings.
Listen more than you talk.
Find the beauty in simple things.
Never lose your sense of awe.
It's okay to complain, but not too much.
You don't have to love me, but you will respect me.
Peaches are best when Mama slices them very thin and sprinkles just a little sugar.