Mother's Day

Well, today is Mother's Day, and I just figured this out late yesterday. Yeah, I'm probably disowned and disinherited right about now.

It's not my fault. No, really. I don't use paper calendars anymore with their helpful reminders about national holidays/conspicuous retail shopping days. I don't watch much TV anymore; and, thanks to the wonders of DVR and streaming video, I don't see commercials anymore so I am not bombarded by every jewelry store on the planet guilting me into buying mom a diamond necklace she doesn't need. Seriously, she really doesn't. She has one "diamond necklace". At least, it's the only one I've seen here wear in the past 20 years. It was made from half of my great grandfather's gold nugget wedding ring. It's huge (great granddad had very meaty paws) with a monster diamond set in the middle like a train's headlight.

Here is where I would like to post a picture of mom for the world to see that, yes, I do in fact have a mother despite all rumors to the contrary. Unfortunately, I could not find a recent and good picture of mom suitable for posting on Mother's day. The few I could locate on my hard drive were not exactly glamour shots material. In fact, most of them look like she just sucked on a lemon. I know I have other pictures of her somewhere, but they all predate digital photography which makes them all over 10 years old and not a fair representation of Mimi Erickson.

Mimi is not her real name, of course. When my sister announced she was pregnant, mom announced that she would henceforth be know to said grandchild (spawn of my sister...the devil...love you too dear) as "Grandmother". To get the full impact of this scene, picture a woman who stands all of 5 foot 6 inches tall on her best day assuming a regally erect posture, right arm bent upwards at the elbow with a loaded index finger pointed at the sky and stating the term "grandmother" with a distinct emphasis on the "grand" punctuated by a little bounce to her tippytoes and the slightest "uh" in between "grand" and "mother". I wish I had video of that moment.

Needless to say, the golden child (spawn of my sister...the devil) had other ideas. Before she was able to say "GRANDuhMother" properly (or at all for that matter), she learned to say "Mimi". Granduhmother's heart melted and mom wisely embraced her new calling as Mimi for now and forever.

There is so much more to tell about mom. I will leave it at this: she did a pretty good job raising my sister (...the devil) and me under difficult circumstances (none of which I contributed to I'm sure) for which I am grateful. Thanks, mom.

Have a Happy Mother's Day.