My Mother and Me: Thoughts on Baseball, Clocks, and Gerber Daisies

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 33

I’ve been watching a lot of baseball lately.

We are an Atlanta Braves family. It’s not the entire family that watches. It’s mostly just me and my youngest son.

If you knew me, you might be surprised to discover I like baseball and football. If you knew my mother, you wouldn’t be surprised.

I am like my mother in many ways.

Growing up, we never think we will be like our parents.

Sometimes we are adamant we will not be like our parents. As we age and have families of our own, we begin to appreciate some of the qualities of our parents and maybe even wish we were more like them.

Suddenly, we see some of those same qualities in ourselves.

Here are a few of the ways I’m like my mother.

• I am drawn to antiques. Some of my prize possessions are family antiques, many of which came to me via my mother’s house. My mother and I had many happy hours perusing antique shops.

• I love clocks and watches. They don’t have to be fancy; they just need to tell time. My favorite is the antique china clock that has chimed in our family home for decades.

• I kept the toys and books that my boys loved as children. My mother did the same. We played with the toys, and then my children played with the same toys when we visited her.

• I show people I love them by feeding them. When visiting my mother, she always had meals planned out, and a second helping was always offered. I realized recently I do the same. Even if I am away from the house with friends, I have something prepared for the adults in the house who can cook for themselves. (I have spoiled them.) 🍝

• I also strike up random conversations with people I don’t know. This usually happens while waiting in line. My mother was a master at this.

My mother passed away a few years ago. I’m lucky to have had time to spend with her in the many ways we were alike.

I’m glad I’m like my mother. It gives me a chance to think of her often. A day rarely goes by that I don’t think about her.

As a mother, I’m a little embarrassed at the subject of celebrating Mother’s Day. As a daughter, I think we need to celebrate Mother’s Day.

On a visit to the local nursery for tomato plants, I felt compelled to add a pot of gerbera daisies to the cart. My mother loved gerbera daisies, and so do I.

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good

1. This week’s picture may have you puzzled. It had me puzzled for several weeks. The yellow barrel sitting in the refrigerator door with the catsup and mustard is from a set of nesting barrels I played with as a child. Three years ago, my oldest granddaughter was playing with them. In her eyes, this was the perfect spot for it. I spent weeks looking for it. 🧩

2. I am grateful to have had my wonderful mother and many other mother figures in my life. I am fortunate. We must remember that nurturing and mentoring can come from others besides our biological parents.

3. Mothers aren’t waiting for payback. It’s nice when they get one. 💰

4. I wrote this essay about being a mother a year ago.

5. I have two book recommendations that are related to motherhood. Will Schwalbe’s The End of Your Life Bookclub, sounds sad. I found it touching. Roald Dahl’s Mathilda will remind you that mother figures are not always your biological relative. And the 1996 movie version is one of my favorites.

6. As a special educator and a parent, it’s good to see efforts being made so all children feel represented in their world. 👩‍🦽

7. On this Mother’s Day (or any day), give thought to your mother or to someone who was like a mother to you.

Thanks for reading!

I hope this post spurred happy memories about your mother or a mother-figure in your life.

Do you think someone would enjoy this newsletter? Please share it.

And don’t worry. I have something planned for Father’s Day.

❤

-Susan