glutton
I guess I never got around to writing about my Easter visit with my mom in Tennesee. Any trip to the backhills near the majestic Buffalo River can be described as...uhm...colorful and...uhm...enlightening to the ways of the world outside the "big city."
Ways in which I was enlightened to the ways of the world outside the "big city":
- Folks drive 2 hrs just to hit the Super Walmart (much improved from the regular Walmart which is only 1 hr away.)
- Discovering the one place in Tennessee that can make fried catfish both bland and tasteless.
- Christians watch will NASCAR for hours and hours...on Easter. (turns out this was a rebroadcast of an earlier event. NASCAR doesn't run on Easter. So I was subjected to a NASCAR re-run. Yep.)
- All the glorious Confederate Flags still waving from yards and porches.
- "It Takes A Worried Man, To Sing A Worried Song" (which I've been misquoting as "It Takes A Worried Mind..." - I forgot to factor in the twang.)
But my last trip had an incident, which led to a conversation, which morphed into an ugly scene between my mother and myself. Now, I love my mother...and like most mothers I know, she hasn't had the easiest life. I want her to live out her retirement enjoying peace, health and a good night's sleep.
We are cut from different cloth, her and I. The kind of cloth that, when worn together not only clashes, but tries to light the other on fire. The (late-comer) evangelical Methodist mom and the secular daughter - we survived the vist...on one of Christianity's holiest of holies. (File under: What was I thinking? Visiting at Easter? Idiocy!)
It's been over a month and while I'm not mad at my mom, ordering her Mother's Day gift went way on the back burner of my mind. In years past, I've tried to send her fun things (see: Elvis paraphenalia) or tried to organize a group gift with my sisters...but after my visit to the red-in-so-many-ways-state, I couldn't find the energy nor desire.
Today, I got off my ass and overnighted her a lovely arrangement.
I've been thinking about friends who've lost a parent. How I've heard them say, that they'd give anything for another day just to talk with them again. And I wonder if these folks had the rocky/loving relationship I have with my folks.
I send my mother flowers this mother's day...partly because I do love her and partly for all those folks who can't send flowers to their moms.
And just because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'm taking my semi-healthy dad fishing on Sunday. Because, I'm a glutton. A glutton for love.
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As Thanksgiving is only Thursday to Rocky Balboa, so Easter is only Sunday to me. Therefore, I get a little disappointed that, when I am ready to relax and enjoy the spectacle of colorful cars going round and round and sometimes bash into each other, God Fearin' NASCAR does not race on Easter. Never has. Nor do they race on Mother's Day. So those phony Christians were probably watching reruns. You could have made some bets with them on the outcome and cleaned up.
I hope your Mom enjoys her flowers. You are a good daughter. I only sent my Mom a card this year. I don't want to spoil her.
PS: I had to sign up for VOX just to post this. Probably worth it so that I may pass out the occasional Bravo Zulu (well done) when you deserve it. Please delete the one word comment that VOX thinks I wanted to post. Know that I will be here now....watching.
>God Fearin' NASCAR does not race on Easter....So those phony Christians were probably watching reruns.
Wow. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse...it was a re-run? Or worse, they taped the race on Saturday (there was one in Nashville) while we were out fishing! (...also known as not fishing, but huddling on a tiny boat in the frigid 40 degree temps on the Tennessee River.) Thanks for giving me a better perspective on the events as they unfolded. Your insight, as always, is much appreciated, Ravin.
I don't know if being a good daughter means sending flowers out of a warped sense of duty peppered with the guilt that I still have both my parents (I guy I don't know well just lost both of his in that crash on 80 last month. True. And awful.) But, I'll take the complement.
I'd stick with your "just send a card" plan. I should have kept her expectations low. Now, if I don't send a gift, my mom cries and thinks I don't love her anymore.
Thank you for going through the trouble of signing up! I've tried to delete that comment...but so far it's sticking around.
: )