A Decade Of Magical Thinking – 10 Years After Losing Mom
Posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2016
Ten years ago today, I lost my Mom.
As anyone over 50 knows, ten years goes by faster than you can say, “Where’d I put my glasses?”
The last ten years have brought about a lot of changes, as a decade is wont to do.
Here’s what I remember today about my Mom.
Mom definitely was a Renaissance Woman, as evidenced by the piles of notes, clippings, articles, etc., filling the basket next to her chair. This was a collection on everything from dog training to the Iditarod and back to growing tomatoes. Keep digging and there you would find the best spaghetti sauce recipe ever along with how to re-upholster a foot-stool, sew a Halloween costume or a Christmas dress, get a baby to sleep through the night, clean smelt, season a cast iron pan, and make an angel food cake.
You were also likely to come across a dog toy chewed to oblivion, alongside a length of lace in the process of being carefully re-sewn onto an old hankie, right next to a dandelion carefully pressed between tissue paper and encased in the inner pages of a book about the Marines, or Hawaii, or how to cook venison, or color daisies with food coloring for an Easter arrangement.
We never knew what we would find Mom reading about, or collecting, or exploring; we just knew Mom would be doing something interesting.
On this ten year anniversary, my prayer is that I can find it within myself to have my Mom’s strength and natural curiosity, especially as the years (and decades, God willing) speed by.
I love you Mom, and I still miss you every day.
p.s. The best way I can describe Mom is here: My Mom is My Inspiration
p.p.s. One of the most honest looks at the grieving process I have ever read was “The Year Of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion. I do, however, think the magical thinking can last a bit longer; maybe not to the same degree, but similar. I highly recommend reading it during any grieving stage you happen to find yourself.
(Full Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate.)
Your mom would so love how you describe her and her life and your childhood in your many writings. It is so insightful and really gives us a real feeling of who your mother was, and makes us all wish we had known her (in my case better than the once yearly visits as a child). Yes, interesting is a great adjective for her. And I can so relate as when my own mother died, we all valued the notes and newspaper clippings found all around the house with all of her family member’s names scrawled up in a corner …. something she had read that she thought that individual would find interesting. Now they are valued scraps of paper.
Hugs.
Thank you, OSS!
The fact that you read my ramblings truly touches my heart. The fact that you take time to comment truly amazes and delights me to no end.
After writing this post, I realized how much I have failed to continue this tradition I love, especially with my grandkids. My mission now is to start writing (pen to paper writing, that is) to my grandkids. Of course, I will enclose little snippets, pictures, etc. as I find them. This may cause much eye-rolling on my grandkids’ part, but I guess time will be my friend, in that aspect anyway. 😀
Thank you again for reading and commenting. And, yes, I also love having some of your Mom’s scribbles in my possession – I will cherish them always, as I do you.
Hugs!