A Love Story

I just got a call from my Mom saying she had received the package I sent her....goodies for her for Mother's Day....candy, a pretty necklace of gold and Venetian glass, cards, a stuffed toy lion that purrs and laughs when you squeeze it, and meows in complaint when you pull its tail, face cream, eye cream, eye drops....little stuff she needs..... She liked all of it, especially the stuffed toy LOL....we laughed at the noises it made as she played with it while we were on the phone.   Two big kids we are....LOL She told me she feels I love her more than anyone else loves their mother....and that made me so happy.  I'm sure most parents feel the same about their kids, but I am glad SHE feels that way!  I have regretted the time I spent gambling that I could have spent talking to her, being there for her, getting to know her life in a deeper way.  It is making me cry, I am so thankful she truly knows how much I love her! After my Dad passed away, I was sorry that I had never asked him so many things...about his childhood, his years in the army....just all those things I would have liked to know.  The last time I visited my Mom, I took a little notebook and wrote down stories of her childhood, games she played as a little girl, things she did, places she went, likes and dislikes, triumphs and heartbreaks....favorite things, experiences....everything I could think of..... Someday when she is gone, I will read that notebook and think of who she was...the life and times of a precious person, my Mom. I always thought as her as a homebody, a true "domestic goddess"  LOL....she would never have dreamed of driving herself alone farther than across town.  I was amazed to find out as a young woman, several times she just decided she wanted to go live in a distant city, packed a suitcase, got on a bus, and applied for jobs as she passed shops walking away from the bus station....Astounding!!!   Adventurous Mom....who knew???  It has given me more of an understanding of her as a total person, not just "my Mom". Mom is getting on in years and when the phone rings early morning or late at night, I fear it will be the call to tell me she is gone.  I hope I have the courage and strength to handle that call when that day comes. As for now, my goal is to realize every day could be the last day I have the privilege of having her on this earth with me....and to cherish her as much as I can.