SJ can't watch insurance commercials without crying. This may do her in.

With Mother’s Day around the corner (how could anyone “forget” to buy a card or gift? The advertising is everywhere!), it’s made me pretty contemplative. I’ve recently decided that one of the things I miss most about my mom is the fact that she doesn’t get to see her parenting pay off.
At a bridal shower the other day (don’t ask me which one… I went to three in a week!), the bride-to-be and her mom were reminiscing about the awesome parties they used to have. MM talked about the Miss America party that included an “evening gown” competition (even a fancy nightgown seems glamorous to a pre-teen) and judging by a panel of parents. Mrs. MM recalled having to come up with crazy categories so each “contestant” could win a title and a prize.
We spent time at Easter with the PH’s family. Having met some of the relatives only that day, even I was laughing as the PH’s cousins kidded their parents about some of the things they said and did while raising their children. I’ve learned that the best impressions are done by kids with a lifetime of watching their parents.
It stinks that I won’t get to kid my mom about how she used to get this certain scowl on her face when she wasn’t happy with me. Or how she would try punish me with a swat on the butt as I sprinted up the stairs… even when I was approaching my high school graduation! She planned awesome birthday parties for us. When I was seven or eight and the movie “Annie” was a hit, I went downstairs on the morning of my birthday to find an “Annie”-themed party. “Tomorrow” was blasting on the stereo, I think the balloons had Lil’ Orphan Annie’s face on them and she had even created a cake (from scratch) in the shape of Annie’s face, complete with miniature characters from the movie.
We also could always look forward to homemade cards on our birthdays. My mom, a passionate shutterbug, was known for creating little scrapbooks full of photos of the birthday person. It was fun to watch ourselves grow up (and go through some pretty goofy stages) as we flipped through the pages.
I wish I had the opportunity to make my mom laugh by imitating that scowl or bringing up the time she broke her toes by slipping in my brother’s vomit as he made a mad dash for the bathroom. She worked hard to raise three pretty decent kids (if I do say so myself) and it would have been fun to be able to have an adult relationship with her. For now, the memories have to be enough.
Happy Mother’s Day!