Brave
Mother's Day
She always called me Sweetie or Joanie, except when I’d done something wrong, which happened a lot, and then she’d say my name low and slow: Joan. She’d remind me that she named me Joan because it meant gift of God, and over the years I mentioned that that was too high a bar for anyone to manage, especially me.
She learned things — from books — how to tune-up a car, how to fix a small plumbing problem, how to fix an IBM Selectric typewriter when the R key kept sticking. Really, do you realize how many random, run-of-the-mill words require the letter R?
She always celebrated holidays and birthdays no matter how complicated life seemed. She was a devoted fan of cake. She was 100% Norwegian, and she embodied not just the fresh, athletic look, but the grit.
I wished I had told her that she was brave. Dear God, she was that. She was a billion other things, too, but let BRAVE be the consummate word — written across the coconut layer cake with too much frosting and too many candles melting into one fine flame.
Thank you, Mom, for it all.
I love you. I miss you.
(Photo Credit: Michael Stavrakakis/World Nature Photography Awards)
I’m happy you stopped by. Please help spread the word…
I believe she is reading this and loving every word of it. And she is so proud of you - telling all the angels about your upcoming book!!
Joanie... I wish I had known Marge better, yet your tribute to her today filled my heart with even more appreciation of her braveness & personality... I liked the too much frosting part.
Most baby boomer's parents were children during the depression and learned from their parents a grit & pragmatic look of life. My mom too was highly experienced with kitchen, garden & hardware tools (yet she had the advantage having her dad as owner of a hardware store). Birthdays & holidays... look out Martha Stewart. She had health issues most of my life since I was 9 years old till her passing at 81, but in-between there was no stopping her. So many times during my life with decisions or challenges since her passing... I wondered "What Mom would do!" A salute to not only our moms... but a salute to you, Joan, as an outstanding mother. Happy Mother's Day, my friend!