>Thanks, Mom — Group Writing Project

>”Thanks, mom” is the theme for MommaBlogga’s latest group writing project. My entry is squeaking in under the wire for deadline, but you can still go here for more entries and more information on Jordan, the head MommaBlogga herself. Here is my entry.

Naming the Mother
In the Ugandan tradition, children are named not just at birth, but throughout their lives according to their characteristics and significant events.

The only girl.
She of thoughtful eyes that needed strong glasses.
She who shared a room with her brother.
The one who took to the piano and the organ like a duck to water.
The one who earned A‘s without breaking a sweat.
The child with the near photographic memory.
The first generation in the family to attend college.

The mom.
She of carpools and babysitters.
She who attended concerts, talent shows, conferences, and open houses galore.
The one who welcomed our friends and significant others.
The one who set another plate on the table whenever our special someone visited.
She who sent us to college, even though we took a little extra time to graduate.
The grandmother.
The one who read the first four Harry Potter books to her grandson.
The one who helped her granddaughter make skirts out of jeans.
Call on the phone grandma.
Email the whole family grandma.
She who faced breast cancer with courage and humor.
She who laughs until she wheezes.
She who keeps up the old traditions and creates new ones, too.
The mom I can only hope to equal someday.

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>Oh, brother.

>It could fit into the category of adventure. It could be creative problem solving. A more accurate label might be dangerous choices, activities for which you are too old, fun things to do unless you get arrested, or ways to make your mother laugh until she wheezes because she can’t believe what you’ve done.

My younger brother just gave me yet another item worthy of big-sisterly teasing that fits at least one of the above categories; I just can’t decide which one.

My brother and his wife were staying at my mom’s apartment in the senior living complex. Mom left for a morning appointment. Shortly after that, her husband got a phone call for an appointment of his own saying, “We’ve had a cancellation. Can you come now?” He left, too. Brother and sister-in-law were gathering their things and putting their shoes on to drive across town to my house when they realized they would have to leave the apartment unlocked because there were only two keys, and both keys had left with their respective owners. Er, renters. But my ever-creative brother thought of another solution.

He locked the door from the inside and climbed out of their balcony. On. The. Third. Floor.

His route to the ground took him over the balcony, past the apartment below, down one floor to a mildly slanted roof, and from there to a nice, solid wall surrounding the dumpsters. He jumped down from the wall to where his wife was waiting for him. I didn’t see this happen, but I’m sure she was at least grinning, if not laughing out loud. They hopped in the car and came over to visit.

The plot thickens. We went back to the senior living community and had lunch in its little cafe. The downstairs neighbors were eating there, too. They didn’t seem to recognize Brother, so we decided he had escaped the adventure without being seen, despite smiling and waving at the other table.

So, folks, what do you think? Here are a few category options.

  • Adventure
  • Creative thinking
  • Cognitively guided problem solving
  • Things you should have learned in school (or not) had you been paying attention
  • Reasons to build your upper arm strength
  • Are you really smarter than a fifth grader?
  • I can do anything, I’m a liberal arts graduate!

Yes, our mother was surprised. And she really did laugh until she wheezed.

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