Yo' Momma is Perfect.

So...it's not Mother's Day.  I'm sure it's some mother's (birth)day...somewhere.  Well, actually...it was my mom's birthday last week...so perhaps a note - in her belated birthday honor - is due...because being the kind of child I am, I neglected to get her anything.  I suppose I'll need a father-centered post at some point in the future, as well...Regardless...

My mom can be infuriating, smothering, and annoying.  Sometimes, she makes absolutely no sense...and I'm starting to think I inherited her ridiculousness.  Anyway...she's absurd...
She says things like "It fit me perfectly, but it wasn't my size!" and "spuh-tool-uh" and "linger-ee"...In general, she has an interesting grasp of the English language.
She complains that she can't go to bed until I come home from wherever on Earth I might be - Seriously, though? Go to bed.
Sometimes...days off from work for her become let's-hang-out-with-my-child-every-waking-moment days.
She seems to think "Give me enough food for two days" really means "Give me enough food for three families for two days"...
She often goes to Shoprite when she's hungry...and comes home with pies...cookies...and things that seem to remain in our house for weeks on end.
Her "angry" states - lasting all of two minutes - usually conclude with her giving me a hug...and food.
She signs her texts with "XOXO" and an overabundance of cutesy nicknames she has for me - the origins of which are somewhat questionable.

My mom's been through a lot, I suppose - which makes sense for someone of her...stature.  That doesn't really make sense...and "age" is a tiny bit offensive, but we'll go with "age" anyway.  Either way...she's been through a lot.  She's dealt with the disappointments family members can occasionally dish out.  She's had to adjust to multiple cultural barriers - as most immigrants have.  She has continually put up with so much more than most people have ever had to in their lives...and ever may have to.

The other day, I was sitting in the family room - as I usually am.  My mom walked in and was complaining about all sorts of aches and pains and started talking about how her physician recommended possibly seeking surgery in the future.  I jokingly said to her, "Mom, you're falling apart.  You know I need you to be around for a really long time, right?".  All she really said in response was, "I don't know.  I hope I'm around that long."      Though I would never tell her this, I thought about what she said for a really long time.  At times, I wonder if I'm being selfish when I think about how great it would've been to NOT be the youngest child - because that way I would've had more time to spend with my mom (both my parents, really).  When I asked her what it was like to not have parents a phone-call or visit away...she said, sometimes, she feels like an orphan.  I'm so dependent upon the omnipresence and reliability of my parents that it's practically impossible for me to even begin to imagine what that must feel like.      

When we have questions, a majority of us go to our parents for the answers - because they always seem to know the "right answer".  Can you imagine what it would be like to not have that comfort anymore - to not be able to know the answer, to lose your first mentor, to lose your first teacher?

When my mom falls ill, when she complains about pain, when she says she's tired, when she's stressed out - I start to worry.  I realize, now, that I only worry because I've always thought these are all things that could never affect my mom the way they do.  I guess I've always assumed, naively, that my mom was invincible - that she could do anything, that she would live forever, that she was perfect.

Regardless of whether this is something I should be thinking about now or later...despite my mom's obvious flaws and utterly-annoying quirks...barring all her injuries and somewhat-visible signs of aging...I still think she's perfect.

Life is a cycle and I know that there'll be a day when I won't have my mom anymore...
When that day comes - I hope I'm half as amazing as she is and I hope I make her proud.

- Tootsie Pop

P.S. My house is flooding, as we speak...I could be swimming in anywhere from 10-15 minutes.

Current Song?: Dan Black - Symphonies

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