When my mom was younger, she dreamt of having a house full of six wild and crazy boys. But what she got instead was this...
...three sweet rotten, well-behaved orinary, girls. Aren't we cute? and weird because we let our mother dress us up like grandmas for a photo shoot.
There is an infamous story that still gets told now and again around the Erenrich household that exemplifies how at times being a mother can be quite frustrating. It was dinner time at the Erenrich's, and my mom came home from a long day at work to slave away in the kitchen making her yummy spaghetti. (Abby, Rachel, and I were probably about the ages we are in the picture above.) My mom hands us each a plate so that she can fill it up for us, and asks us to carefully take it outside to the back porch, where we happily ate most of our meals in the summertime. Abby went first, and she was about to the back door that opens out onto the porch when she spilled her entire plate of spaghetti everywhere. Flustered, my mom decided to get Rachel and I outside before she dealt with the mess and could get Abby another helping of spaghetti. She filled Rachel's plate and sent her through the living room, out the front door and in through the gate to the back yard. Well, Rachel almost made it all that way, but at the gate she toppled her spaghetti all over the metal fence. My poor mom! I don't even remember if we ended up dividing up the remaining spaghetti among us, or if we ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...but I know it must have been impossible to work all day, then come home and cook dinner for a few clumsy kids.
(I realize this looks bad because I just told a story that makes me look like an angel because I didn't spill my spaghetti. But don't be fooled. I was the most misbehaved child of the three and just so happen to at times have the benefit of going last and watching and learning from my older sisters.)
Anyhow, my mom, who lost her own mother when she was just 13 years old, raised each of us like a pro...and I like to think we turned out okay...
So whether you are a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) working hard like June Cleaver who always looks beautiful in her pearls while she cleans who makes moms everywhere feel inadequate.
...or a mom who is balancing a full-time job, a house, and kids ...like her...
...or a mom who is dealing with a husband who is at times more work than the children...like this one...
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention a couple other mamas that are special to me this year. The first one is my mother-in-law...
Without her there would never have been this little guy...
...who turned into this handsome man...
And the last two mamas are two of my best friends. Stephanie is a mother to Noah, who is almost 2, and she just gave birth to Gwen about a week ago...
And miss Danielle will be a first-time-mama to a little boy this fall...
Alright, it's just a picture, but you still have brought tears to my eyes! I love where we all are in life and I'm so blessed to be able to share these special moments with the best women in the world!! I miss you both so much!! Remember how we say a lot we wish we were back in college together because it was so fun and blah blah...well I still mean that in a lot of ways, but at the same time how can we not all look around and see where each of us are in this life and not just smile from ear to ear and know how blessed we are??!! It's good to remember the past, but we have an awesome present and I know we each will have amazing futures to share with each other!! *tear* *tear* <3
ReplyDeleteConnie said...
ReplyDeleteI always had an array of gifts for Mother's Day. The girls were always thoughtful enough to research my needs and made sure my day was full, including dinner out most of the years. The best part of the day, though, was the cards. Whether homemade or bought, they often took the time to write words of gratitude. I still have most of those cards and they meant as much as the gifts.
Don't know if I ever shared this specifically, but perhaps my most memorable Mother's Day was when I was 13. 1968. I think of this memory every year at this time. My own mother was very ill. It had fallen to me to tend laundry, manage clothing for her, etc when help wasn't around. On this particular Mother's Day I asked my mother what she wanted. She said she would love to get out in the sunshine for awhile. She wanted to see the flowers. Fortunately it was a pretty day. She had not been outside for a season except to go to the hospital for dialysis or extended stays, which were frequent. I took a lot of care to curl her hair, put on some make up, dress her for the weather, and then placed her in a wheelchair and started outside. I think we were out for a couple hours. The entire neighborhood was aware that she was out. I pushed her around the neighborhood and she was able to speak with many friends. Several of the kids and women joined our parade. I wouldn't let anyone else push the wheelchair. She was really good during that long walk. We had been battling signs of deterioration up to that day along with confusion and extreme fragility. None of that was evident that day. She mentioned over and over again how she enjoyed her day.
She died the next week. Seems like yesterday, but it has been 40+ years. I like to think about our Mother's Day Walk every year as the flowers start blooming and the days warm. It was a gift.
Dear Connie,
ReplyDeleteI remember your mother like it was yesterday too. ox, Mary
p.s. my best mother's day was last year, with breakfast in bed, the girls and Jim curled around me. ox, Mary
Oh my gosh! You had me cracking up and then bam, tearing up! You are such a good writer! I wish you would blog more. (:
ReplyDeleteThis is the first Mother's Day with out my Mother. I am not sure how I am going to handle this day. I have lot of good memories of my Mother growing up. Sometimes people who did not know us, thought we were sisters. I have several home made cards that my children made me over the years. One knows, that the message comes from their hearts. I wish everyone that is a Mother or going to be a Mother a "Very Blessed Day".
ReplyDeleteMy most memorable Mothers day was in 2002. I went fishing with my daughter Megan at Big Bear Lake, and it was very cold outside. Noone was out and about yet, so it was she and I and our dog Bailey. We were only in our first hour of fishing when Megan declared "there are no fish in this lake!" She set her fishing pole (really her Dad's) on the rock where she was fishing, and into the water it went. Needless to say I went in after it, sliding down the rock into the very cold water that was up to my shoulders, using my toes to grab it up. We still at that point had not seen one person out yet. After gathering up all the fishing gear and going to the car, I knew I could not leave my freezing wet clothes on. In the back of the Jimmy was a very dirty towel we had wrapped around a rock, and one of my husbands flannel shirts which wasn't much, but would have to do. Just after pulling my pants off (behind the open car door)about 20 people drove by in their cars and on their golf carts.
ReplyDeleteLeah! I'm so glad you wrote something on my blog the other day, b/c I COULD NOT find your blog anymore for some reason, and I was so sad about it!! So now I've found you again :) Love this post and the adorable picture of you 3 girls, and then the picture of you all with your mom at the wedding. And how cute is Danielle?!?! I didn't know she was expecting!! :) Thanks for sharing!! xo
ReplyDeleteI know I'm about four months late, but this is probably one of the best blog post I've ever read. Period. Very witty and touching at the same time. :)
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