Mother-Daughter Things...

My mother was my best friend.  She wasn't the huggy-touchy-feely-Suzy-Homemaker kind of mom, but she was always there for her children and loved us all, unconditionally.  You'd better bet we had our routines and traditions--things we knew we could count on, largely because of a very strong sense of family--grandparents and all--no matter where we lived all over the world.  One thing I noticed, big time, was that my mother and HER mother had a great relationship.  I admired that.  I determined that I wanted that in my life, too.  My mother and I were at least as close as she was with my grandmother, and I hoped that when I became a mother, I could have that kind of relationship with my chilren. 

As a teenager, I can remember watching as some of my friends would fuss and fume about their relationships with their parents.  I didn't understand that not everyone was as lucky as I.  If something good happened to me, I couldn't wait to get home to tell Mom about it.  Same thing if something not so good happened.  We shared a lot. 

Mom had been my Girl Scout leader in middle school.  She and her co-leader took the troop camping at least once a year.  Mom and I shared that, too--a love of camping.  Thus, when I was in high school and was attending a weekend Camporee event, I was having such a grand time that all I could think of was, "I wish Mom were here.  She would love this!"  I had to go home and tell her all about it, but it wasn't the same as if she had been there in person.

My mother died suddenly on the day after Thanksgiving in 1986.  I was only 39 years old; my daugher, only 7.  It changed everything about my life.  I couldn't be Mommy's Little Girl anymore.  I had to care for my dad and take care of my daughter without my mother there to back me up if I sagged.  That Christmas was going to be a sad one.

For children, life has to go on.  Megan (my daughter) was given a solo to sing at her school's Christmas program--one verse of the song The Friendly Beasts.  That night, I sat in the bleachers in the gym of her elementary school, less than a month after my mother's passing.  When it was Megan's turn to sing, she stepped to the microphone, and in a clear and lovely voice, she sang her solo with poise and confidence.  I just sat and blubbered!  I was so very proud of my child and so very sad that my mother couldn't be right there to witness her very first performance!

My daughter and I have shared one love in common:   music.  Meg was exposed to all kinds of good music from the very beginning, and she took to it--everything from show tunes to folk music, country music, classical music.  Her taste in music became ecclectic.  Whenever we traveled, we played tapes in the car and sang along together. 

When Meg became a show choir member in high school, I jumped in with both feet.  What a joy to be able to watch such talented kids performing so professionally!  I ate up every second of it, and I knew my mother would have loved it, too!

So now, we have come full circle.  Megan and her husband, his parents, and her father and stepmother, spent the day at Disney World yesterday.  They got to see a musical performance at Epcot Center, with three choirs and full orchestra, all Christmas songs with scriptural narration, ending with The Hallelujah Chorus.  The program was called  "The Candlelight Processional".  When they got back to Vero Beach, she sent me some Instant Messages about the performance.  Even sent me a short video of some of it.  Her main comment was, "I wish you could have been here for that.  I thought of you the whole time!"

I get it, Megan.  I really, really do...