Saturday evening, November 2, 2013
It was that terrible one year anniversary for Gretchen. Her mother died a year ago, just after Gretchen arrived to teach in Beirut. It was a car accident, a terrible shock, and further devastating because her father had died of cancer two years before. Gretchen, in her thirties, had expected her mom to be around for years to come. "Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?"
In honor of Gretchen and moms, we decided to have a Celebrate Moms get together at the Moscow Mule; a favorite sports bar in Hamra. Drink of choice? Martini. Gretchen explained that her mother loved martinis.
My story was about a mother who loved being with her children, in every way. Mom was in her last month with cancer, and in her no nonsense way, decided it was time to divvy up the jewelry. She wanted to see us choosing what we wanted; this would make her happy. As I looked at the table top, I saw many beautiful things, but I didn't see what I wanted most; the two silver bracelets that never left my mother's wrist. She wore them everyday, and the sound of their sweet jangling was "just Mom". So I went into the bedroom where she was resting. I sat down beside her, and in the gentlest way I could, said, "Mom, I don't see what I really would like to have most on that table. What I would like to have most is your silver bracelets." Her response was real surprise, "Carolyn, really?"
"Yes. These would mean the most to me, more than anything else. But I don't want them until later; you need to keep wearing them until then..." There was some hugging.
I went back to the sitting room couch, watching the Tarheels zip the ball down the court. I heard mom up, puttering in the kitchen, but didn't pay much attention. She would get up for water, or a taste of ice cream. But then she came into the living room and sat next to me. In her hands were two bracelets, shiny, just polished. "Here, Carolyn. I'm so glad you want to have these. I want you to take them now." And she fitted them around my wrist. This gesture both touched and broke my heart! You can imagine how I felt; so happy, so sad. I hugged and thanked her, thanked her and hugged her.
Mom's two silver bracelets are on my wrist in Beirut. She was the original adventurer, and as I hear their metal jangle, I know that Mom is with me all the way.
As for the martinis, just today Margaret asked, "So, Carolyn, how did you like your first martini?" My answer?
"I liked the second one better..."
It was that terrible one year anniversary for Gretchen. Her mother died a year ago, just after Gretchen arrived to teach in Beirut. It was a car accident, a terrible shock, and further devastating because her father had died of cancer two years before. Gretchen, in her thirties, had expected her mom to be around for years to come. "Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?"
In honor of Gretchen and moms, we decided to have a Celebrate Moms get together at the Moscow Mule; a favorite sports bar in Hamra. Drink of choice? Martini. Gretchen explained that her mother loved martinis.
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Celebrating Our Moms
Each of us brought something given to us by our mothers. We took turns showing and telling with frequent toasting. Margaret wore her mother's ring, and was glad to have it considering she had 6 siblings to compete with. Jane told a story about a mother who had a hard time being a mother, who raised 3 daughters on her own, and a father who wasn't around much.
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"Yes. These would mean the most to me, more than anything else. But I don't want them until later; you need to keep wearing them until then..." There was some hugging.
I went back to the sitting room couch, watching the Tarheels zip the ball down the court. I heard mom up, puttering in the kitchen, but didn't pay much attention. She would get up for water, or a taste of ice cream. But then she came into the living room and sat next to me. In her hands were two bracelets, shiny, just polished. "Here, Carolyn. I'm so glad you want to have these. I want you to take them now." And she fitted them around my wrist. This gesture both touched and broke my heart! You can imagine how I felt; so happy, so sad. I hugged and thanked her, thanked her and hugged her.
Mom's two silver bracelets are on my wrist in Beirut. She was the original adventurer, and as I hear their metal jangle, I know that Mom is with me all the way.
As for the martinis, just today Margaret asked, "So, Carolyn, how did you like your first martini?" My answer?
"I liked the second one better..."
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