Tis The Season

   This will be my first holiday season without Mom and I'm afraid it just won't be the same. Mom always had a talent for floral arrangements and decorating. So far the house is definitely lacking the certain festive flare it usually has around this time of year. It was always tradition each year for us to spend Grey Cup Sunday working together to transform our house into Mom's version of a winter wonderland. I was the unskilled labour who did the grunt work of setting up the tree and trying up the garland to the banister and mantel, while Mom would follow behind me and work her magic by paying meticulous attention to detail. With this morning's fresh snowfall, I finally clued in to just how much I miss our time decorating together.

   Starting this weekend, I am on a mission to pay my very best tribute to Mom and transform the house to the best of my abilities (wish me luck, I'll need it). I think to really get in the mood I'll throw on her favourite Bob Marley CD and really get into it. Thankfully, I have my wonderful girlfriend to help me string the lights and garland around the tree; always Mom's least favorite task! Each year she always had to have a different theme for the tree. I think this year I'm going to go with an all white theme using her pearl white poinsettias. I remember once spending every evening together for a whole week helping her glue and paint her famous pumpkin seed poinsettias. That was a painful experience back then, but looking back it is another favorite memory of cherished time spent together.

   The true test of whether I inherited any of her creative artsy skills will be when the time comes to wrap all my gifts. I was lucky to always have a professional to call upon whenever I was giving someone a gift. People would always admire things she wrapped and it wasn't rare for someone to want a picture before dismantling the masterpiece. She truly had a talent for making things look beautiful through her attention to detail. Whether it was in her flower arranging, gift wrapping, or even serving up a plate of food, Mom always made sure there was a perfect presentation with the right mixture of color and accent accessories. I'm betting this year there will be at least 10 of her best friends going through a similar experience as me, when they attempt to recreate her outdoor greenery arrangements or fresh wreaths. Don't worry ladies, she will be proud of each and every one of us for simply trying to match her creative genius. Who knows, maybe you'll surprise yourself after receiving some heavily inspiration! I'm hoping so...

   With each decorating challenge I take on this weekend I will be thinking of my favorite room mate and best friend. I love you Mom.

It's Funny How That Works

   Growing up, I remember constantly teasing my Mom about her numerous pet peeves, habits, mannerisms, and ridiculously high cleaning standards (or so I thought). Luckily, she was an incredible sport and for the most part was always able to laugh off the jokes at her expense. It is all of these little things that I used to laugh about that I remember most vividly today.

"What is your plan for today?"

   I find myself constantly needing to make "to-do lists" for everything; a practice I swore up and down as a child that I would never do. Mom taught me the importance of organization and cleanliness. It is this skill that has led to my ability to prioritize my life and achieve exponentially more than anyone else my age. Without her constant reminders to write my schedule out on the family calendar and create a plan of attack for the day, I would likely lose track of the 1000 things I always have on the go (another habit I picked up that I'll write about one day). This is my long overdue, "Thank you Mom" for being persistent in your mission to convert me into a list maker!

"Oh you think that's clean? Let me check for you?"
   That was the dreaded phrase my Mom would present to me after every chore I did for the first 17 years of my life. I'm sure my Mom was not the only clean freak out here, but I would gladly place money on my mom if there was a competition out there. There were numerous occasions where she would get down on her hands and knees to wipe the floor for dust or dare me to "give it a lick if it's really clean". For as much as it drove me crazy growing up, today I am without a doubt my Mothers son in this aspect. I owe her a sarcastic thank you for setting such a ridiculously high standard of clean that it is now impossible for me to find a suitable room mate. You could have payed us a surprise visit at any time of day and find our place looking like an immaculate show home. One thing is for sure, the day I drive my kids crazy with the infamous "clean check" I will be thinking of Mom.

Don't bother fighting it...
   Despite some of my best efforts and promises that I would never be the same, it's funny how in the end we all end up being more like our Moms than we thought possible. Even though I enjoyed teasing Mom at every chance I got, I am now grateful for everything that she was. I admired so many things about her and still to this day am learning lessons from her by reliving the memories. I was and always will be so incredibly proud of the woman who raised me. Even if it means I'm sometimes late for things because I can't leave the house until it's perfect. Who doesn't love coming home to a perfect home? Much like having a perfectly made bed to slip into at the end of a long hard day (another habit I swore I'd never adopt).

You still make me smile everyday...in so many little ways. I love you Mom.


Do you have any good memories? Share them with me in the comments below or by emailing me at TheMommasBoy@hotmail.ca. I would love to start posting other people stories here.

Momma Bear

Mom

  
I truely am a Momma's boy. Throughout my whole life I shared an incredible relationship with my Mom and will never forget the million memories she imprinted upon me. Right from the begining, Mom made me priority number one. She sacrificed sleep, work, friendship, her looks, and even her sanity at times all for my benifit. She taught me everything I know and I am eternally grateful.

   My "Momma Bear" passed away this last March, and I still find it impossible to believe. I still come home everyday expecting her to be waiting there, ready to ask all about my day and talk my ear off. She was my best friend and the best listener/therapist I've ever come across. There were days we both dragged our butts because we were up the night before helping eachother work through our respective problems and accidently lost track of the time. To tell you the truth, we never lost track of the time. We didn't care what time it was! Nothing was more important in those moments than being there for eachother and listening for as long as it took to feel right again. This is what I miss the most... I would give absolutely anything to be able to talk to her again; just for one more day, hour, or even minute. I've never been able to share or open up to someone like I could with her. But I guess that makes sense. You only ever have one Mother.

   I know she is still watching over me and is always there to listen. Whenever anything happens, she is always the first person I think about telling. Like I said, it still doesn't feel real. It just feels like she's been away from home for a few months and we just keep missing eachothers calls. My house has become painfully quiet. Prior to her passing, it was just the two of us living together for the past 5 years. It's strange coming home to no one. I didn't have the slightest clue of what she did for me on a daily basis. I wish she left a manual or "how to" guide before she passed. But that would have been impossible due to the shear magnitude of what she did. She spent the last 23 years of her life caring for me and moulding me into who I am today. All I can do now is hold my head high and smile like she taught me. Everything I do from now on is in honour of the most amazing Mom anyone could have ever known. I was the luckiest son to have her for as long as I did. And I will make her proud everyday until we meet again. I love you Mom.


Please feel free to comment below or post your own story by emailing me at TheMommasBoy@hotmail.ca. I think everyone needs to express their love and share thier favorite memories. Whether your Mom has passed or is still alive, you should pay tribute to her in any way that you can. Thanks for lending an ear.