birthdays

Hey Sisters and Brother,

So Erin and I were talking about how we all need to be more open to
talking about mom.  Happy memories are easy enough, but sometimes the
sad and sentimental things are good for all of us so that we make sure
we are keeping her as a part of our lives.  I like the idea of all of
us writing down specific family memories and putting them in a special
book.  I was thinking that if we all send each other emails every time
we think of some little story, then we will remember them when the
time comes and have them all collected in one place.  I am going to
try to get the ball rolling.  Here is something I just thought of last
week.  I may revise it as a better story later, but here goes:

Mom was always so good about letting us all have such special birthday
parties.  Many were themed and surely involved much more planning then
we ever realized.  We usually got to pick out our favorite party
plates that had Barbies or Ninja Turtles on them and got all the silly
party favors that went with.  I remember that one summer when I was
probably in 2nd or 3rd Grade, mom has Mary McMahon take me to
Pick'n'Save to look for such party items.  Obviously, I realize now
that money was tight and it seemed like such a wasteful thing to buy
the expensive ones that you can only get at places like ToysRUs.  I,
obviously not having any concept of such things, told Mary I did not
want to buy any of the boring ones they had at Pick'n'Save.  Since
she, not being my mother, didn't have much say in the matter accepted
this and must have had to go tell the news to Mom.  I don't know how
that side of the conversation went.  All I know is that mom took me
and let me pick out my favorite ones somewhere else.  At the time it
just seemed the normal thing that any mom would do for their daughter
for her birthday, but I later realized what a big deal it was.   I
know finances were probably always a very big stress for Mom, but she
did everything in her power to never let us kids realize that.  Some
moms would have just said, "We are just going to get plain ones this
time.  It is not a big deal...etc."  And I can't help but wonder that
I wouldn't even say such a thing to my kids.  I don't think mom
spoiled me in this instance, I just think she realized in the long run
it was not a big deal to just do this small thing to make her daughter
happy.  What a good mom she was.  I hope I remember that  and follow
her good example.

I love you all.  No pressure to send your own stories now, just when
you feel inspired.

Love,
Mary