Mother's Gift

Yesterday Matt and I arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas. Matt is taking a training course here for two weeks for his job with the military. I was able to come along for two reasons: 1. The army is paying for everything so I get to come along, basically, free of charge 2. My job with MSU ended for the summer last week (it’s seasonal; time off in the summer!) I have to keep myself occupied while Matt is at class during the day, but the hotel has an outdoor pool, a great workout room, and I brought plenty of things to do. This includes my laptop, so I can now add more entries to my blog and keep my page from looking so boring with its single, lonely entry.

I thought it fitting on this day after Mother’s Day to write a little ode to my own mother. You see, several weekends ago, my mom, Renée, gave me what is quite possibly one of the most amazing and wonderful gifts I have ever received. This gift in particular was preceded by another fantastic gift: a time-capsule of sorts, containing the outfit I wore home from the hospital, the dress and bonnet I wore on the day of my Baby Dedication at church, my parents and my hospital bracelets, the hat and mask my dad wore while at the hospital during/after my delivery, a bright orange banner proclaiming “Welcome Home Deanne and Mommy” that welcomed us home from the hospital, the newspaper from the day I was born, and a Newsweek magazine from the week I was born. My brother, Brandon, and sister, Erin, received a time capsule like this as well.

It was the next gift, however, that filled me with such awe at learning that my mom is even more amazing than I had previously thought. My mom handed my brother, sister, and me each our own old-looking calendars, the kind one would hang on a wall. She then explained that when each of us kids was two years old, she wrote something in each day of the calendar, be it something we did that day, something we said that day, something about our personality, etc. She hardly missed any days of writing something down. So here my brother, sister, and I sat, our jaws on the floor, as we each began to read a detailed account of ourselves at the meager age of two. We were soon laughing out loud and shouting to each other, “listen to this…” And as the moments passed, the magnitude of what each of us “kids” held in our hands began to sink in. We each held a kind of documentation of our lives at two years old. The funny things we said and did….and I think many would agree that two year olds do and say some pretty darn adorable things. I was surprised at several days where my mom wrote something about an event that I could actually remember. Another thing I was delighted to find was several entries where my mom had documented something about my friend, Katie. This is Katie Kyle, my first and longest friend in life, whom I still consider one of my dearest friends to this very day. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding last summer. We became friends at age one when our families both lived in Sheridan, Wyoming. And this is where I lived until I was four. One entry, my mom wrote that she overheard Katie and I talking to each other in the next room. I said to her, “You’re my best friend,” and Katie said to me, “You’re my best friend, too.” How priceless it is that I have that moment recorded for all time!

I marvel at the dedication of my mom to undertake this task for all three of us kids. I truly think she’ll never fully understand just how much it means to each of us to have this treasure. It’s something we can read over and over again and, hopefully, share with our own kids and grandkids someday. I could write pages upon endless pages about the greatness of my mom, but I think this gift can say a lot about her. As a full-time mom, rushing around after 3 young kids, my mom took the time at the end of each day to record something about me on this calendar. I have always felt my mom’s love for me in absolute abundance, and this gift has her love written all over it. It is one of my deepest desires in life to become as much like my mom as I can be. Although some daughters desire the exact opposite, this is the truth for me, because my mom is truly, without a doubt, the greatest woman I have ever known.

So, in conclusion, I’d like to share with you a few of my favorite “entries” from this calendar gift (remember, this is written in my mom’s voice):

~While driving we saw a rainbow. Aunt Debbie asked you, “Who made the rainbow?” Without hesitation, you said, “Care Bears.”
~You watched a Winnie the Pooh video over the weekend. Today whenever you were upset, you’d hang your head, cross your arms, and use Winnie’s expression, “Oh bother.”
~Brandon was upset and crying in bed. You came in to comfort him. You put your arm around him and talked to him. “Don’t cry Bandon (Brandon). It’s okay honey. You be alright.”
~When I change your dirty diaper (when I “open” it up) you yell, “Surprise!”
~I heard you crying in your room at nap time. When I went in, you were laying on your bed. You had tried to put your doll clothes on you. You had the pants almost pulled up and the blouse was behind you with your arms in it. You were stuck and couldn’t move!
~While you were in the nursery at church, you wet your pants. As soon as we got home you took them off and I heard you in the kitchen giving yourself a spanking with the paddle! I asked you why and you said, “Cause I wet my pants!”
~Daddy put you to bed tonight. He started to say, “Good night Deanne.” You said, “No, I’m Cinderella.” He said, “Goodnight Cinderella.” You said, “Goodnight Fairy Godmother.”