On the last day of my mom’s trip out to NYC we strolled out to a local diner to catch breakfast before she caught her plane. Everything in the diner is sun bleached and worn. These surrounding only make her look radiant, her green blue eyes, black hair, and red lips have always reminded me of a Snow White archetype. Our breakfast arrives, French toast for me and a feta and spinach omelet for her. We dig in and I think about all the things I learned about my mother in the last week.
(This is how my mom stood in all her pictures, like a well mannered French school girl.)
* When my mother was younger, High School age, my grandmother bought her a dress, this was exciting because most of my mother’s clothes were made for her at home. This dress was little, grey, and tight! She wore it to a church dance and the cutest guy danced with her multiple times while the “popular girl” found out what a wallflower felt like for the first time. MAGICAL!
* She bought candy bars for a nickel. The cheapest candy I can buy is in the subway for an even dollar bill.
* My mom palled around with a wily girl who convinced her to try a cigarette…she took a direct quote from our former President Clinton when she told me “I didn't inhale and never tried it again."
* Her favorite meal growing up was noodles with leftover chicken, a cream sauce and a side of bread.
* Every two weeks her family would go into the city, watch a movie and the kids could pick out a prize from the five and dime. She usually picked costume jewelry.
* Once when my mother was taking a bath my father knocked a huge vinegaroon into the tub. She chased him around the house naked and screaming. My father ran outside thinking there was no way she would follow…he was wrong. She chased him down the dirt road in the buff throwing rocks at him along the way. She said it was the best thing she had ever done.
After breakfast we gathered up her things around the apartment and took one last picture. The shuttle bus came and I hugged her twice and cried the rest of the day while watching an awesome show she recommended. Check it out HERE.
Moms the word,
Leslie
Do you know that you two actually look a lot alike? Around the eyes and nose. Plus, Les, I could see you chasing Raf down the street naked.
ReplyDeleteLove, Crys
I knew your mom was awesome! Like mother like daughter!
ReplyDeleteI love your mom. and those stories! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteI love to hear those stories! I miss you and your mom!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet post! I loved it, and I loved hearing about all of her New York and DC adventures while visiting you. Can I just add, that there was a young girl peeking out the window that night when mom decided to chase dad out the door....in the buff. It may have beeen the best thing she'd ever done, I felt like I needed to wash out my eyeballs.
ReplyDelete