"Happy Mother's Day" Mom!

I think there is a special bond between moms and their daughters. I know I'm very close to both of my girls. My mom and I weren't that close as I grew up. Her life was pretty tough for her growing up in Texas. She lost both of her parents at an early age and I really don't think she ever got over it. My mom never shared much about herself and those days in Texas. I knew some of the songs she loved, and she would tell us stories here and there but never talked about the pain she experienced losing her parents. My dad was a knucklehead up until the day he died, which was only months after my mom had passed away. He died on Valentine's morning, think he left to be with the love of his life. My mom died about four days after Riley was born, and I have to tell you, I was really pissed when it happened. I remember when I got the call at 6:16 am that morning. I KNEW without being told "why" I needed to get to the hospital right away. So, sadly one of Riley's first outings was to my mom's funeral. We had to write something for her funeral, and my mom always had a great since of humor, and below is what I wrote for the "occassion". . .

THINGS I NEVER TOLD YOU I WAS SORRY FOR!
September 1, 2006
Well Mom. . . I guess it is a little too late to tell you a bunch of stuff I’m really sorry about. So, as much as you would hate this, I’m going to have this guy named Ty, who is called a Celebrant (I don’t know what that means either), read you my list of my apologies. I know you already hate us all standing here over your coffin, so why not finish the morning off with apologies, right? Here goes:

*I’M SORRY FOR WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID AND DREW A HOUSE ON MY BEDROOM WINDOW SCREEN AND BLAMED TERI, AND THEN INCRIMINATED MYSELF BY SAYING, “TERI CAN’T DRAW A HOUSE THAT GOOD”. I CAN STILL DRAW A BETTER HOUSE THAN TERI

*I’M SORRY FOR WHEN I WAS IN KINDERGARDEN AND PROJECTILE VOMITED PEAS ALL OVER THE DINNER TABLE. I TOLD YOU PEAS WERE GOING TO MAKE ME THROW UP

*I’M SORRY I GOT KICKED OUT OF BLUE BIRDS IN THE FIRST GRADE. I DON’T EXACTLY REMEMBER WHAT I DID, BUT I TOLD YOU I THOUGHT THOSE HATS WE HAD TO WEAR WERE STUPID

*I’M SORRY WHEN I WAS IN SECOND GRADE AND I BROKE YOUR FOOT. I TOLD YOU NOT TO CHASE ME WITH THE BELT BECAUSE I COULD RUN FASTER THAN YOU. I COULD RUN FASTER UNTIL I DECIDED TO STOP AND KICK YOU

*I’M SORRY FOR PRETENDING I HAD BAD CHEST PAINS IN THE THIRD GRADE AND MISSING SO MUCH SCHOOL. I NEVER HAD CHEST PAINS I JUST HATED YOU MAKING ME PLAY THE ACCORDIAN, THE TEACHER WAS GROSS AND HER BREATH SMELLED LIKE PEANUT BUTTER. I ALSO HATED MY THIRD GRADE TEACHER, MRS. GREGORY AS WELL. SHE WAS MEAN

*I’M SORRY ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN FOURTH GRADE AND YOU WERE SHOPPING WITH IRENE AND HAD TO COME GET ME AT THE NURSES OFFICE AT SCHOOL. I LIED WHEN I SAID SOME OTHER KID THREW UP IN THE CAFETERIA LINE, IT REALLY WAS ME. I ALSO THREW UP ON MY CAFETERIA TRAY. I TOLD YOU I HATED EATING IN THE “CAF”

*I’M SORRY THAT I ALMOST MADE YOU CRASH YOUR CAR WHEN I WAS IN THE FIFTH GRADE BECAUSE ME AND MY FRIENDS WERE SCREAMING IN THE BACK SEAT ON THE WAY TO PLAIDS & PETTICOATS. I TOLD YOU THAT MY SLIP WAS ITCHY AND I HATED TO SQUARE DANCE

*I’M SORRY WHEN I WAS IN THE SIXTH GRADE AND WHILE WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL, I THREW SHERRY DALHSTROMS SWEATER IN A TRASH CAN AND IRENE YELLED AT YOU. I TOLD YOU SHERRY WAS A TATTLE-TAIL

*I’M SORRY WHEN I WAS COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL IN SEVENTH GRADE AND SLIPPED AND FELL IN DOG DIAREAHHA AND RUINED MY WHITE SKIRT. THAT WAS GROSS AND I TOLD YOU I NEVER LIKED THAT SKIRT ANYWAY

*I’M SORRY I GOT MY LONG HAIR ON YOUR COUCH IN EIGHTH GRADE AND DAD MADE YOU TAKE ME TO GET MY HAIR CUT SHORT AND GET A WORLD FAMOUS PERMENENT THAT LOOKED STUPID AND I SLAMMED MY BEDROOM DOOR FOR DAYS. I TOLD YOU I DIDN’T WANT A STINKING PERMENENT

*I’M SORRY FOR BREAKING THE IRONING BOARD IN NINTH GRADE. I REALLY WANTED TO LEARN TO SURF AND TOLD YOU I NEEDED A REAL SURFBOARD, NOT AN IRONING BOARD, TO PRACTICE MY PADDLING SKILLS ON

*I’M SORRY ABOUT BEING IN TENTH GRADE AND COLORING “RAGS”, YOUR POODLE’S HAIR WITH MAGIC MARKERS. I ONLY DID THE TOP OF HIS HEAD BECAUSE I TOLD YOU THAT IT MADE THAT OLD DOG LOOK MORE COOL, AND IT DID

*I’M SORRY FOR A LIFE TIME OF JUMPING OUT FROM BEHIND DOORS AND SCARING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF TERI. I TOLD YOU IT WAS FUNNY WAS WHY I KEPT DOING IT. I STILL DON’T KNOW WHY TERI DIDN’T THINK IT WAS FUNNY

*I’M SORRY I BROKE THE CUTE LITTLE RENAULT CAR YOU AND DAD BOUGHT ME. I JUST WANTED TO GO FOR A DRIVE BY THE BEACH WITH MY FRIENDS. DAD TOLD ME THAT THERE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SO MANY FAT GIRLS IN THE CAR

*I’M SORRY FOR RUINING TERI’S PRAYER GROUP BY PLAYING BOB DYLAN’S “I AIN’T GONNA WORK ON MAGGIES FARM” OVER, AND OVER AGAIN. I KNEW YOU HATED THAT SONG, AND I KNEW IT WOULD MAKE TERI MAD, THAT IS WHY I PLAYED IT SO MUCH

*I’M SORRY TERI SLID OFF THE ROAD AT O’NEIL PARK WHILE DRIVING HER BLUE FALCON AND HIT A TREE. I REALLY DID TELL HER TO SLOW DOWN AND I TOLD YOU SHE WAS A BAD DRIVER. OOPS, I DON’T THINK YOU KNEW ABOUT THAT ONE

*I’M SORRY ABOUT THE TIME YOU HAD A FEW TOO MANY BEERS AT DINNER AND WHEN YOU TOOK A BITE OF YOUR TACO YOU MISSED YOUR MOUTH AND I LAUGHED AT YOU AND SAID “HAVE ANOTHER BEER” AND YOU TACKLED ME ON THE DINING ROOM FLOOR AND DAD HAD TO PULL YOU OFF OF ME AND I JUST KEPT LAUGHING. IT WAS REALLY FUNNY.

*I’M SORRY ABOUT ALL THE THANKSGIVING DINNERS I LAUGHED AT YOUR TURKEYS AND CALLED THEM “TURKEY DUST”. I TOLD
YOU ALL THOSE TURKEYS WERE A LITTLE DRY. I THINK THAT IS WHY I BECAME A VEGETARIAN

*I’M SORRY MY KIDS RAN AND YELLED THROUGH YOUR HOUSE LIKE MANIACS WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE. I TOLD YOU SODA AND ICE TEA AND COOKIES WAS PROBABLY TOO MUCH CAFFINE AND WOULD MAKE THEM CRAZY

*I’M SORRY MY KIDS ALWAYS SPILLED THEIR MILK ON YOUR TABLE. BUT KATIE SAYS YOU ALWAYS TOLD THEM, “SPILLED MILK AIN’T NOTHIN’ TO CRY OVER”. ALTHOUGH I GUESS IT DIDN’T HELP THE TIME YOU SLIPPED IN THE MILK

*I’M SORRY ABOUT THAT CHRISTMAS I TOLD YOU “DAVE WON’T BE JOINING US FOR DINNER”. HE REALLY HAD LEFT THE MONTH BEFORE AND WE WERE GETTING A DIVORCE. I TOLD YOU HE WAS NEVER MUCH FUN

*AND THE THING I’M THE MOST SORRY ABOUT NOW IS THAT YOU WILL NEVER GET TO HEAR BABY RILEY SAY, “I LOVE YOU GREAT GRANDMA”. BUT, I KNOW YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT.

We’ll miss you mom, grandma, and great-grandma!

I knew my mom would have liked what I wrote for her funeral, that was just her. She did "know" about Johnnye Merle's Garden & Nursery before she passed away. Physically she was never able to see it, but she knew none the less. Below is a slideshow I made last year. Orginally it was just to show the pictures of the garden, but I ended up telling my mom's story. Here it is. . .

This picture slideshow created with Smilebox

I miss you Mom and just wanted you to know this post is for you!!