Sunday, May 9, 2010

A Mother Like No Other

When I was younger, my church would host a Mother Daughter Banquet. It was held in the Fellowship Hall and lunch was served and then usually some sort of show or something. I remember one year women from the church had the girls model their wedding dresses.

I was not a fan of this then, and I am still not now.

I remember mom coming in and sitting next to me in church and saying that she had purchased tickets for us to go. I rolled my eyes and asked her why and she told me "I think it is important that you and I do things like this every once in a while."

Important.

Back then I didn't realize that kind of important.

With a daughter of my own, I do now.

Not that I would purchase tickets to a banquet, but I do plan something for just us, and if she is not into it, watch out.

It wasn't that I didn't want to be with her, because I did. It was that whole thing of it being a group of people - it is hard to explain.

I do have a ton of memories of my mom that I did enjoy doing but I will tell you my favorite....

My very best friend in the whole wide world was getting married and I flew into town just long enough for the wedding. My mom and I went to lunch one day. I don't remember the name of the place, but it was an old church that was made into a restaurant. The night before my dad had given her cash to pay for our lunches. We get there, we have a great lunch, it was a really nice time, and then the bill came. I sit back and don't do anything cause I saw dad give her money to pay. She looks at the bill, looks at her wallet and looks at me.

"I don't have enough money."

"Dad gave you money."

"Yeah, I don't have enough."

She laughs.

I crack up.

So I give her money and we pay the bill and go on our way.

As we are in the car driving home, I ask her what she is gonna tell dad. She informs me she is not going to tell him anything.

Dad gets home from work and asks how lunch was.

I bust out laughing - HARD.

My mom just looks at me and shakes her head.

That story probably is not even funny to you, but as I type this, I am laughing and the dog is looking at me like I am nuts.

That day will go down in history as one of my favorites. The look on her face was priceless, the laughing all the way home and even the next day and....

The day I spent with my mom having lunch and talking like friends.

It doesn't get any better than that!