MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

On Mothers Day, those 4 little words

• Posted by Chris on May 10th, 2008 filed in General, Things I Love    

Sarah heard the distant cry of her daughter in her bedroom. She opened her eyes, to the sight of darkness. No light meant the middle of the night. “I’m never going to get any sleep.” It was the third time Leslie had cried out. The first two times Sarah went to her room only to find her back to sleep when she got there. This time she wasn’t getting out of bed. Her husband snored next to her. She rolled over and nudged him. “Your turn” she whispered. His snore didn’t change. She pushed him again and his snore broke for a moment and continued. She waited for a moment, hoping the crying would stop. The cries tapered off and faded out. Sarah waited a few minutes lying still as she could, as if her rolling back over would reawaken her daughter. No more sounds came from Leslie’s room. Sarah rolled back over to sleep and was met face to face with her little girl standing at her bedside. Startled, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Stifling a shriek, she mumbled to her little girl, “What is it sweetie?” The teary broken-voiced reply was “I have to potty”. Checking her frustration, she mumbled “Go ahead. You don’t have to ask for that. Just do it sweetie.” Leslie turned and staggered off to the bathroom. As she walked away, Sarah called a little louder “Thank you for not peeing the bed sweetie”. Leslie made no reply as her tiny five year old body walked around the corner to the bathroom. While Sarah waited for the flush that never came, she fitfully drifted back to sleep.

The alarm ripped her from her dreams and woke her up with a start. Sarah sat up and hit the off button on the alarm clock. The space where her husband snored the night away was empty. She pulled her robe over her pajamas and staggered off to the kitchen to get the kids ready for school. She deflected off the door frame as she entered the kitchen. Rubbing her shoulder, she saw Leslie already at the table. “GOOD MORNING MOMMY!” she shouted in a voice that was all too perky for someone who woke mommy in the middle of the night. Sarah smiled weakly and inquired about breakfast. “I want cereallllll!” boomed that same all too loud happy voice.

Jake bounded in and grabbed the bread for toast. “Hey mom!” Looking at Leslie “Hey lizard!” He popped 2 slices in and grabbed the jelly out of the refrigerator and waited. Leslie’s reply was immediate. “I’m not a lizard. You are!”
Jake fired back “L!-O!-S!-E!-R! LOOOOOSSSSSEEERRRR”
“MOM! Jake is calling me names again!”
“I am not!”
“You called me a loser!”
“No I didn’t”
“And you called me a lizard”
“Nope, don’t think so”
“Did too”
“Not”
“MOM!”

Sarah stared out her kitchen window as they battled. She was already exhausted from the night and now frustration was building. “JAKE! Knock it off!”
Jake fired one more quiet “loser” as he turned to his toast. Leslie muttered back “you are”. Their new battle was interrupted by Sarah who seemed to be talking her herself while looking out the window.

“Have kids they said. Yeah, have kids. It’s so much fun. Beh! I could be on a cruise right now with all the money I would have saved. Yeah, a cruise. I would look out over the ocean. There it is. Hi ocean. Pretty ocean. Oh, look! There’s a dolphin. Hi dolphin. Yes, swim dolphin, swim. Pretty, pretty dolphin. You did a dolphin flip for me. Thank you! How pretty. Look, there’s an island too. What? It’s time for my massage? Tell Fabio I’ll be right there. Pretty, pretty Fabio. Pretty, pretty ocean…”

Vickie barged through the kitchen, book bag in one hand, keys in the other. “Hi mom, bye mom. Love you mom.”
Sarah left her happy place and glanced over just in time to see Vickie scurry past trying to get out without being seen. “Freeze missy!” Vickie stopped, grunted and sighed. She turned to look at Sarah and grunted again. “Yes? I’m in a hurry.”
Jake and Leslie, who were still giggling about mom’s “cruise”, started to laugh. Sarah looked at her daughter, dressed more for a night out than school.
“Um, I don’t think that is quite what the school has in mind when they say dress appropriately.”
Vickie put her best whine voice on, “MOM! Jason’s going to be there and I want to look nice.”
“Yeah, nice. OK. That dress doesn’t say ‘I look nice’. That dress screams ‘I’m an all you can eat Vickie buffet’. It’s not nice. It’s desperate. Besides, what happened to Charles?”
“You never pay attention to me. Charlie was 2 boyfriends ago.”
“Well, can you stay with one long enough for me to be able to say hi to him?”
Vickie smiled an impish grin. She turned so her side was to Sarah and informed her “You’re just jealous that *I* get the boys now because my butt’s tight and yours ain’t right.” Then she turned her chest to her mom, shook it and rhymed “And you don’t have, these no more, ‘cause yours are draggin’ on the floor! HA!”
Sarah fired back “Yeah and it’s your fault too. Go on, get out of here. I’m too tired to argue”
Vickie snatched up her books again and took off.
Turning to a giggling Jake and Leslie she informed “What are you laughing at, you did this to me too”. They laughed harder.
As Vickie left Sarah made one final plea “Just make sure you change that before your dad gets home. His heart is bad enough”
Vickie bolted out the door with a “Love you mom” trailing off.

The faint rev of a car motor startled Sarah out of her reminiscence. Of all the times to lose her thoughts, why now? And why a memory from 26 years ago? Leslie waking her up and then getting the kids ready for school? Where did that come from? She heard the engine stop. Looking into the mirror, she saw her unprepared face. The lines and creases that had long ago replaced the glow of her youth seemed to stare back at her more than ever. Her frustration started to boil up. It was the second time in an hour that she lost her thoughts. The first time, the burning of her breakfast snapped her out. It was happening more and more. Why could she could not keep her thoughts anymore? Why could she not concentrate on anything? She had faded out for too long and now there was no time to get ready. Her mind raced. She had no makeup, no hair fixed, nothing. She thought of the kids. Everyone was going to be so angry with her. She slammed down her brush and grabbed a tissue to fight the tears. Her hands shook as she blotted her eyes. Jake opened the front door. “MOM?” Sarah made no reply. Jake entered the house. His two toddlers bounded in behind him and bolted to the TV room with their mom to wait for Grandma. Jake walked to his mom’s room and looked in the open door. She turned to face him. She didn’t need to speak. He could see her pain and sadness. “I’m, I’m not ready yet.” Jake ignored the clock that said he was late. He smiled gently and reassured her. “It’s ok mom. We’re a bit early today. Take your time.” He walked up to her.
“It’s going to be a while. I have no makeup on, my hair isn’t done. I, I just can’t…”
Jake touched his mom’s cheek. “You look great momma. Your hair is fine. Come here”
He wrapped his arms around her while she sobbed softly into his shoulder.
“I love you mommy. I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you. So will Leslie and Vickie.”
Sarah’s heart lightened and her tears stopped. She held the embrace as tight as she could.
The sound of another car announced Leslie’s arrival. Jake broke the embrace and stepped behind his mother to help her work on her hair. Lunch would be a bit late, but that was ok.

Mothers give of themselves all through your life. She gave you her life’s energy when you were in her womb. You sapped her strength when you learned to walk and started to grow. You tried her patience more each day as you grew older and decided you knew more. When you moved out, her heart went with you and her thoughts were on you often. After you moved away, you realized how smart, wise and patient she really was. You were amazed at how she ran a household while you and your siblings tried every angle to get your way. All these things weren’t for money or fame or accolades. They were done for love and the memories. Every line in her face is a memory that made her smile. Every grey hair is a memory of a moment that tried her patience. But it’s all part of being a mom and the one thing that drives her to do it are those four little words. When they are spoken with sincerity and honesty, they soothe bad moods and calm turmoil filled hearts. The four little words that mom spoke to make it all better for us, makes it all worth it for her as well. No one knows how long she’ll be with you. Now that she is older, she needs your love and your patience and your help as much as you can. So today and every day possible, make sure you tell her those four words that heal and warm her heart. They mean more than any flowers or card ever could.

I love you mommy.

Happy Mothers Day