I remember when this was taken. The year was 1971. I was my youngest daughter's age — although, I look a lot…you know…bigger — it was the day that the Woodbridge Center Mall first opened its doors and, ironically, Abraham & Strauss, Orbach's and Sterns are now all out of business.
My parents have tons of pictures like this. This one's in pretty bad shape, but I promised to go through and save as many of their photos, digitally, whenever I could (I mean, they've got boxes and boxes of 'em) but, it's become very difficult. Harder than they could ever imagine and it's not because my parents don't have a computer, either.
I just realized, for the first time, how much I really do look like my mother and it's killing me.
Yeah, it was a long time ago — a lot of the photos are old, colorless and somewhat faded, by now — but, the memories, curiously enough, are still very vivid. They rush through my fingers and fill my heart with a crescendo of uncertainty and all of my insecurities, at that very moment, were undoubtedly written all over my poor mother's face.
I didn't get it, at first.
"Why isn't Mama smiling?"
My 13-year-old has this way of sneaking up behind me and nearly gave me a heart attack, again.
"What are you talking about?"
Looking back on the moment I realize now that my tone may have sounded a bit harsh — okay, so I was more than a little annoyed with the interruption, or maybe it's because I was caught off guard…again — no worries, my middle girl already knows her mother is quick, like that.
Then, it hit me — like most things do — like, a brick upside the head.
"It's you…being with you guys makes your grandmother smile."
Although, I tell them (all the time) that she is NOT the same woman I grew up with — don't worry, my mother laughs when I say that, too — I'm thankful that it is the face my children will always remember.
"It's really nice that you're saving ALL these pictures, though."
Only now, I find myself turning them over and over again.
© 2009 This Full House – All Rights Reserved.
Comments
20 responses to “How I Strive to Be the Mother My Kids Do NOT Remember!”
I love this photo…great perspective mama!
My FIL is VERY different from when my husband was growing up. Like night and day.
People change and sometimes it’s tough for kids to realize that adults (grandparents included) are human and not always prone to smiling!
p.s. Love your new template! I’m about to go from 2 to 3 columns…it’s about @##$@% time! 😉
I love this photo…great perspective mama!
My FIL is VERY different from when my husband was growing up. Like night and day.
People change and sometimes it’s tough for kids to realize that adults (grandparents included) are human and not always prone to smiling!
p.s. Love your new template! I’m about to go from 2 to 3 columns…it’s about @##$@% time! 😉
I love this photo…great perspective mama!
My FIL is VERY different from when my husband was growing up. Like night and day.
People change and sometimes it’s tough for kids to realize that adults (grandparents included) are human and not always prone to smiling!
p.s. Love your new template! I’m about to go from 2 to 3 columns…it’s about @##$@% time! 😉
I love this photo…great perspective mama!
My FIL is VERY different from when my husband was growing up. Like night and day.
People change and sometimes it’s tough for kids to realize that adults (grandparents included) are human and not always prone to smiling!
p.s. Love your new template! I’m about to go from 2 to 3 columns…it’s about @##$@% time! 😉
I love this photo…great perspective mama!
My FIL is VERY different from when my husband was growing up. Like night and day.
People change and sometimes it’s tough for kids to realize that adults (grandparents included) are human and not always prone to smiling!
p.s. Love your new template! I’m about to go from 2 to 3 columns…it’s about @##$@% time! 😉
Hi Jamie,
Yeah, you can tell spring has sprung and I’m cleaning house, in more ways than one – OMG, and now I’m speaking in rhyme???
Hugs,
Liz
Hi Jamie,
Yeah, you can tell spring has sprung and I’m cleaning house, in more ways than one – OMG, and now I’m speaking in rhyme???
Hugs,
Liz
Hi Jamie,
Yeah, you can tell spring has sprung and I’m cleaning house, in more ways than one – OMG, and now I’m speaking in rhyme???
Hugs,
Liz
Hi Jamie,
Yeah, you can tell spring has sprung and I’m cleaning house, in more ways than one – OMG, and now I’m speaking in rhyme???
Hugs,
Liz
Hi Jamie,
Yeah, you can tell spring has sprung and I’m cleaning house, in more ways than one – OMG, and now I’m speaking in rhyme???
Hugs,
Liz
What a gorgeously written post. This sentence, “They rush through my fingers and fill my heart with a crescendo of uncertainty and all of my insecurities, at that very moment, were undoubtedly written all over my poor mother’s face.” took my breath away. I see myself in my grandmother’s pictures and my husband is terrified when I say that!
What a gorgeously written post. This sentence, “They rush through my fingers and fill my heart with a crescendo of uncertainty and all of my insecurities, at that very moment, were undoubtedly written all over my poor mother’s face.” took my breath away. I see myself in my grandmother’s pictures and my husband is terrified when I say that!
What a gorgeously written post. This sentence, “They rush through my fingers and fill my heart with a crescendo of uncertainty and all of my insecurities, at that very moment, were undoubtedly written all over my poor mother’s face.” took my breath away. I see myself in my grandmother’s pictures and my husband is terrified when I say that!
What a gorgeously written post. This sentence, “They rush through my fingers and fill my heart with a crescendo of uncertainty and all of my insecurities, at that very moment, were undoubtedly written all over my poor mother’s face.” took my breath away. I see myself in my grandmother’s pictures and my husband is terrified when I say that!
What a gorgeously written post. This sentence, “They rush through my fingers and fill my heart with a crescendo of uncertainty and all of my insecurities, at that very moment, were undoubtedly written all over my poor mother’s face.” took my breath away. I see myself in my grandmother’s pictures and my husband is terrified when I say that!
This is going to sound so weird, but I look more like I am one of your relatives (dark hair, roundish face) than I look like my mother. That’s a good thing, though. 😉
This is going to sound so weird, but I look more like I am one of your relatives (dark hair, roundish face) than I look like my mother. That’s a good thing, though. 😉
This is going to sound so weird, but I look more like I am one of your relatives (dark hair, roundish face) than I look like my mother. That’s a good thing, though. 😉
This is going to sound so weird, but I look more like I am one of your relatives (dark hair, roundish face) than I look like my mother. That’s a good thing, though. 😉
This is going to sound so weird, but I look more like I am one of your relatives (dark hair, roundish face) than I look like my mother. That’s a good thing, though. 😉