Surprise Mom!

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He walked down the corridor to the room at the end.  The door was shut and he softly knocked on it.  A distant voice answered, “Just a minute.”  Apartment 9 was where his Mother lived.  He hadn’t seen her for almost a year as his job had sent him out of state.  She didn’t know it was him at the door.

She opened the door with the chain on still and was about to ask who it was when she let out a scream.  “Johnny!  You’re home!”  She shut the door, ripped off the chain and flung open the door.  “Why didn’t you call, I would have had dinner ready for you.”

“No Mom, tomorrow is Mother’s Day so I am home to take you out to dinner.”

“You have always been so good to me Johnny.  Come in and sit down.  How have you been?”

“Wait a minute.  We have reservations for 6 o’clock so you need to grab your coat and purse and come with me.”

“Oh, I need to change.  I am not dressed for going out.”

“Mom, you look as beautiful as always.”

***

I hope all you Moms, want to be Moms, and Dad’s who are Moms too, have a wonderful Mother’s Day tomorrow.  And a special wish to those without their Moms or children… know this is still a special day of remembrance. HAPPY Mother’s Day!

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Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – corridor

Garden of Hope

Photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.com

The fragrant spring air

Enticed her senses

As she walked through the garden

Her mother had planted

To form inviting paths

Through their large backyard

 She needed this time in nature

To clear her head

She needed this garden

To remind her of her mom

She needed this solitude

To find her inner strength

For today was the beginning

Of respecting herself

And shutting off the lies

Lies he has told her for years

Now she can stand alone

Without any fear

And face the future

With a little hope in her heart

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Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – fragrant

Never At Rest

I still see her body

Lifeless in the chair

It was so surreal

Just sitting and talking

Like there wasn’t

A dead body in the room

To say I was uneasy

Is an understatement

But I didn’t know better

To leave the room

When they came to take her

I thought they were not

Gentle enough

When they moved her

She was my mom still

I knew she couldn’t feel

But I watched and wanted

To protect her body

Like she had protected me for years

When they zipped the bag

I turned away

It was final

And I have to see that image

Played over and over

Especially around the holidays

When I miss her most

Her body was laid to rest

But my memories never will be

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Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – body

Wanna Try?

This prompt was original posted on Oct 30th… that would have been my mom’s birthday. Since she was such a big fan of Queen the fact that I instantly thought of this song’s lyrics was meant to be. “… recommended at the price, insatiable an appetite, wanna try?”

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For Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – insatiable

Cursed Gravity

A fun fact… most of the big ones I have at some time covered with a portion of a post.  So, I am going back to a special thing I did that I can barely remember but I had a love hate relationship with it.  Back in the day (early 70s), at least around here, there was a class you could take through parks and rec that was a skill I have used zero times in my life.

Both my sister and I took a class for baton twirling.  It was very big for baton twirlers to be at the state fair talent search, and the occasional marching band, but your average citizen does not need that skill.  I loved the class because my mom used to twirl a baton in her marching band and made it look so easy.  I wanted to be just like mom.

Gravity had other plans for me and I dropped the baton more times than I caught it.  And there were the bruises from this metal stick with heavy rubber knobs on it falling and hitting me in various places.  I was black and blue all over my arms.

Now in 2020, nearly 50 years later, I wonder if any towns still offer classes like that for kids in the summer or any time of year really.  Of course now a days, you would get a visit from child protective services if you had a child with that many bruises.  It was an experience that was not a life changer, but I can look back and smile at how hard I tried to be like mom.

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Written for Fandango’s Dog Days of August (FDDA) #24 – a fun fact

(photo from Google search)

We Would Never Share Chocolate

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It has been ten years

And I miss you as much now

As I did the day you left

Nearly every day that goes by

I still remember you

And wish I could be with you again

Just a moment to say I love you

To hear your laughter

To share some music

You taught me so much

And I feel I never told you thanks

What I wouldn’t give

To play parcheesi one more time

To sit next to you at a concert

To share a bar of chocolate

(That’s not right – we’d each have our own)

Often I wish there were guarantees

That I will see you again

Until my day comes

I can only hope

July 17^th wasn’t the end

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Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – nearly

Working The Skein

She sat next to her mom on the couch.  Her mom was crocheting an afghan and she was holding the skein of yarn, pulling more out when needed.  She liked to “help” her mom crochet.  She could get underneath the afghan as it grew longer and make silly patterns with the yarn as she pulled it out.  But she had to be careful not to get it tangled up, mom did not like that.

That memory was crystal clear this cold winter night.  Sharon was missing the warmth of the afghan but not as much as she missed her mom.

(100 words)

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – yarn https://fivedotoh.com/2020/06/02/fowc-with-fandango-yarn/

I Miss You Mom

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

She left peacefully

Silently in the night

When I heard the news

I was instantly

Inundated with memories

And questions I could never ask

I felt numb and had

The worst pain I’ve ever had

All at the same time

It has been nearly ten years

And every bit of pain is still there

I wonder will it ever go away

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – inundated

Memories Stun Daughter

Melancholy memories
Of Millie, Mom and me
Marvel at the miracle
Made mingling at the mall
Stories stuffed with sadness
So sorry someone suffered
She should have survived longer
She should have seen success
But denied disease deteriorates
Daughter’s delicate Mom
Done dancing and doubled up laughing
Death dons dresses
Does not dally
… melancholy memories
Sadness strikes dawning day

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – melancholy

Mumbles … Mother’s Day

My view of Mother’s Day has been slightly skewed. It was always a joyous time to celebrate with my Mom when I was growing up. Then when I became a mother myself it brought on a deeper meaning. For the last eight years though since my Mom passed away it is a difficult balancing game between the joy of being a mom and the despair I feel no longer having my Mom in this world.

My daughter is my life and I really try to focus on that, but I miss the friend I had in my Mom. She went to concerts with me, would play games together and shared our love of good music. She and I would have late night talks into the wee hours of the morning. She was always very open with me and I was with her.

Our relationship was not perfect. I will never forget learning on the eve of my wedding she didn’t want me to get married and she told me he was wrong for me. …twenty years later that came to be true, did she know something in advance? Nah, but I wouldn’t change a thing because I got my daughter down that path.

I hope everyone has had a good day. Those who are mothers, want to be mothers, lost babies that made them alone mothers, dads who have to be mothers too, with mothers living or gone… a Happy Mother’s Day to all. I will now have a silent tribute to my Mom, looking through some old pictures, and trying to remember she will always be here with me in my heart.