Day 3

What is a Daughter?

A Daughter is a precious gift ~
A precious baby girl from God.
So small and tender at birth,
She's cute and cuddly when growing up...
But then she matures into a young woman.
You begin to lose your "Little Girl",
Oh, how sad you feel.
But God has great things in store for you,
Because soon a beautiful girl matures.
Then one day your daughter leaves home ~
And she becomes a mommy too.
Now she's made you a Grandma.
You've now become the very proud mother of her.
Yes, motherhood never ends
But the two of you have now become friends.
That's what a daughter is.


That was the poem my mother gave me our last Christmas together.

I realized that my writing appears to be more dry the past couple of times than it usually is so let me rectify that...

Let me paint a picture of my mother's personality:
She worked at the post office if that doesn't say enough alone... but she loved to push people's buttons (obviously she pushed mine LOL). In attempt to show her stubborness and independence to her boss, she dyed her curly, curly hair in rainbow stripes one year. I was embarassed by it myself. I made her wear a hat anytime I had to be seen in public with her - somehow making up what she believed to be a valid reason. On another occasion she dyed it pink and purple polka dots. You never knew what to expect next from that woman.

She was living the life of a teenager sometimes the way she partied and acted. This did not always seem to be the case. Up until I was 13 I always remember her as being the Holly Homemaker type: dinner ready for the family everyday, involved in PTA, girl scouts, boy scouts, church, Navy Wive's Club, making me blankets and clothes - you name it she probably tried it. However, when we moved back to the mainland at that age, it was like I had lost the mother I knew and gained someone I had to take care of. She still had her days when she did awesome mom stuff but always tried to be more of a friend than a parent - I loved her still but it made me change the way I had learned to grow up. She was just never the same from then on - at least as I knew her and it was tiring to say the least.

Where is all this going you ask? Even though she had her spark of sanity, she still taught me you're never to old to have fun and make the most of life but still be the responsible mom (even though she did her time more in segments). I still live by a more controlled lifestyle by my choice but when I got my first REAL job after high school I wanted to take her out to a nice place for her birthday because she still did so much for me when she could.

I saved up all summer that year. I put a ring on layaway (yes, it was that long ago) and planned on taking her out for Swedish food at some ritzy little place I had never heard of before called "Chez Walter". Let me tell you, the food was way overpriced and not the talk of the town but it was all from me. I wanted to show her I could give her a birthday she deserved.

Another year I wanted to take her to have fondue! The Melting Pot in Denver kept advertising this awesome deal with wine and my mom LOVED wine. Now THAT was the best meal I had ever had at that time! The great thing about that is my awesome friends knew how much I loved it there and for 3 years chipped in and took me to the Melting Pot on my birthday. I talk about it being one of the best birthday memories I have had that the experieince has even been passed on to my new closest friends.

No matter how crazy or outrageous an idea may seem, it never really hurts to try it out. Although I cannot even come close to the experiences of my mother, I am glad that she still pushed me so that maybe, just maybe I'd try something new and enjoy it. My kids and I still have our own crazy nights of silly games and talent shows just to laugh at ourselves. Simply put, I have had great times and birthdays celebrated with her; it's just time to have the great times and birthdays now with my own kids and friends. I don't think she'd want me giving up the chance to have a good time on her behalf... then again... LOL 


Jewels