Eight Great Memories of My Mom.

Mom, make sure you have your sound on. This is a different version than what you are familiar with but it is still your song.

I choose eight because it is by far the most superior number (considering I'm the eighth child) and eight is much easier to do then 68 (Kristy already ousted your age) although I could come up with 68 great memories easily.

1. Singing: One of my fondest memories is singing songs in the car with you; when I was little we sang songs that Granny sang and then as I got older we belted out country songs with the radio. Singing woke me up in the morning (entirely too early I might add) and humming put me to sleep a lot of the time.

2. Friday night dates. Well, they were yours and dad's dates that you always let me come along for since I was the only one left at home. Then after dad died it became our movie night. I have so many great memories of going to movies with you. Remember how before the movie it always showed the roller coaster tracks whizzing by popcorn and drinks and at the end "please silence your cell phone", it made it look like you were in the roller coaster so you and I would put our arms up like morons and jerk to the side as made fast turns. One time we both moved inward and bonked our heads together.

3. When we lived in Lakeland we would always go to Hardees for breakfast (was this just on the weekend?) you and Kristy would get sweet rolls and I didn't like breakfast so I would always get the enormous cookie!? (see Kristy's post about inherited sweet tooth)

4. Notes: I have so many encouraging notes that I have saved from you growing up. They started showing up in my lunchbox, in middle school they were on the kitchen table and in highschool I would often find them on my pillow when I was either going through a tough time or experiencing something new. One I remember off of the top of my head is when I started a new job and I had expressed anxiety about whether people would like me or not and I came home that night to the sweetest note of encouragement from you listing so many nice things about me that people couldn't help but like me. Also, when I was living here for the first time and I was having a hard time because I didn't know anyone you would send me little cards that really lifted my spirits.

5. I remember how desperately I didn't want to disappoint you. At my rehearsal dinner Kristy mentioned how she couldn't come up with one bad thing that I had done growing up. That was very nice, however, I'm sure I did plenty but I just remember that I loved you so much that I just didn't want to risk disappointing you. (By the way, can you tell me how you did this so I can use it in my own parenting!?)

6. You were just a good parent, you knew when to stay back and just observe and when to step in. You didn't jump into every fight Kristy and I had because you knew that we needed to learn how to work things out ourselves. I do remember one time though when the three of us were in the brown truck and Kristy hit me so you reached over me to hit Kristy while yelling, "We do not hit in this family"....stunned silence......silence....all of us cracking up over the irony.

7. Pedicures! I remember our first together, how we were both a little hesitant about it until we saw the lady next to us and how nasty her feet were. There was no stopping us then and we went so often together.

8. The morning I left home. Not a good memory but one that I remember you handled so gracefully. That was the hardest thing that I have done I think. My car was packed for my drive and I went by the diner to say good bye to you. I was excited about my future but so VERY sad to leave you. You were my mom, but for so long you had been my friend, we had gone through something really hard together and I felt like it banded us together, we were both hurt but I think that we both felt like we had to be strong for the other so it made us link arms and walk forward strong. I know that you were sad that morning but you knew that I needed to go and that if you weren't strong about it that I may not be able to. You were great, you encouraged me so much that morning and told me all these great things that were going to happen to me. You always just made me feel like I could conquer the world. You made me feel smart, and funny (since you laughed at my jokes), and pretty, and like I was a good singer (that one was a little hard to learn the truth about). I never doubted questioned how much you loved, you are just the greatest mom. I love you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY