I’m sitting here missing my mother. She’s passed on now. Six years ago. And I miss her. I wrote this piece about a month after she passed. I wrote it on Sunday, September 11th, 2016. I am left in a void that is threatening to swallow me whole. My ma, she didn’t want me. That’s how I started in this life. Daddy wanted me. Ma was 22 and already tired from raising those boys. Another child was the last thing she needed she told my daddy, but he wanted to try for a girl, a princess for him. And so I was conceived. She told me the story that always ended with this line. I wouldn’t have given up on you the second I laid my eyes on you. She spent her life, never giving up on me clumsy as I’ve been throughout this life Mom was the one who always steadied me. She picked me up dust me off and set me straight again. She has been my most influential teacher. She has taught me everything. I ever needed to know about life her pride and little things in life gave me a good understanding of what is important enough to strive for to be a success. She counted her riches and sticky little kisses her grandchildren left on her cheeks. She counted her assets in the crystalline sounds of laughter coming from her children. The treasure box of her life was filled with her grandchildren’s accomplishment. Family was the backbone of her life. She lived that and showed me how to as well. Family, gatherings; every Easter, babies and old folks always welcomed. During these times, you could not walk through the house at night without tripping on someone people laid out and sleeping in every room on every floor. Love and laughter Gatherings. Where my mom’s gift. She stood next to me when my children were born. She stood next to me years later when my grandchildren were born. She is the foundation of my family. As we grew older, the bond between us strengthened. I held, no secrets from my mama to her chagrin, and still she remained my biggest and most loyal fan. My mama was so much more to me than a parent. She was my best friend, my travel buddy, my partner-in-crime. She was my confidant and my rock. She may not have been an obvious hero, but to me, she was. I wonder what my life is going to look like without her in it.
I wonder what my life is going to look like without her in it. Ma 77 in November, her spirit and tenacity served her well throughout every one of those years.My mama was quirky, adorable, endearing, fun and beautiful.I am the luckiest woman in the world because I get to say that I am [Mother’s Name] daughter. I still miss her. Days like today, I miss her more.