Saturday, March 17, 2012

Family Visits...Momma Would Be Proud

I went out of town yesterday to my Aunt Betty's house. My Uncle Richard, Aunt Janet and cousin Betty Lou were in from Ohio. My aunt and uncle are going down to Texas for their granddaughters graduation with her Master's Degree and were able to stop and visit at Aunt Betty's.

I had told my daughter earlier, like 3 weeks ago, that I would be going to Seminole on the 16th to visit. Yesterday she calls and wants to know what I am doing...*okie rolls her eyes*. When I told her were I was she remembered and then said she wanted to come up, it's about 35 miles from where I live. I told her she needed to work and not being able to do what you want when you want is part of adulthood. She asked how long I was staying and that she was going to have a friend bring her up, her car isn't able to make such a trip but that is a whole different story,  and wanted to ride back with me. I was actually going to head back home but being the dutiful mother, and also not wanting to face the wrath of my Aunt Betty, Aunt Janet and cousin Betty Lou I decided I better agree to stay so they could see her and visit for a little bit. I was a little perturbed at her lack of responsibility of taking off work and not thinking of the consequences of possibly the employer getting upset about the request and her losing her job. She later explained to me that she had worked out a deal with her boss to go in on her day off and make up the hours she would be taking off.

My mother and her sisters were always close and they passed it down to some of us kids. While Betty Lou is my mother's first cousin I have always felt she was more like one of my aunts and she has always been close to "Gertie's girls", Gertie being my grandmother. I stay in regular contact with some of my cousins even though we are spread over the United States. My mom passed away in 2001 and I know she would be proud that I always hightail it up to Aunt Betty's when the relatives are in. When she was alive she would always call me if someone was coming in and would stress "they are only stopping through so you will need to be here (on whatever day) because you know they will want to see you". Never once did I tell her I couldn't make it. I did whatever rescheduling I needed to do to make it up to visit. As I sit and think about this I have to actually be proud of my daughter for doing her rescheduling so she could see her great aunts and cousin.

My daughter was almost 10 when my mom passed away and she and my mom were close. Shiane started going on over night trips to my mom's when she was about 6 or 7, once the visits started Momma would call about once a month to ask if Shiane could come up and spend the weekend with her, this worked into my daughter going about 3 weekends out of the month the last year and a half of my mom's life. I sit here smiling now thinking of how my mom would be proud of her granddaughter for realizing how important family is, and how she might possibly chastise me for being upset with my daughter in the first place. I can hear Momma now, telling me "well now Shirley, you always felt family was important and you changed your schedule anytime family came in so Shiane is only doing what her mother did and what she should do" *okie wipes away a tear streaming down her cheek just imagining her mothers voice*. While thinking of this does bring a tear it isn't a sad tear, but one knowing that my Momma would be proud of her "little Shiane".

Oh and by the way,  my daughter informed me that we are going back to Seminole on Sunday after she finishes up her make up hours so she can visit again. I, of course, can do nothing but conform...*okie smiles feeling a little pride in her daughter for wanting to spend more time with her family*.

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like our family. All spread out around the country, but when someone in family comes for a visit all the rest of the relatives in the area show up. Love it. I shared your tears reading your report of daughter wanting to come. You taught her right!

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  2. I know this is totally off the subject of your blog today, which I might add I throughly enjoyed, but where did you get your cases to put your stamps in? Thanks. Enjoy your trip to Seminole on Sunday. Be careful. :)

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  3. Yep Okie, You should be very proud of your Daughter. I always told my boys you can have all the money in the world but if you don't have your family then you really don't have much!!

    I love your stories.....I love reading your stories.

    Our Family has always been close also.
    My Mom passed in 1973 at the age of 45.
    My oldest Son was just 2 1/2 but he still has a vague memory of her and he is 41 now. I always felt my youngest Son missed out because he never knew my Mother's love.

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  4. Okie,
    Family is all we have in this world, you should be proud of yourself and your daughter. There are alot of people in the world that could learn from your example. TFS.

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  5. Oh this did bring tears to my eyes too. How sweet.

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  6. Shirley, you have me wiping away serious tears as I try to read this post. I recently lost my father, and 18 monsths before that, my mother. We have always been a very close, tight knit family and your post reminded me of that and how much I miss them.

    Your writing provides so much insight. I love your blog and your honest straigh forward writing style.

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  7. My mother has been gone for 17 years and I miss her every day. Your post made me miss her even more today than usual.

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