friday love list: my mommy is not old edition.
Today is my mom’s birthday.
She’s turning 58.
She would have no problem with me telling you that, too, since people regularly marvel at her age because she looks so young. “You couldn’t possibly have a 37 year old son! And a daughter who looks 22 but is actually 34!”
Okay, so they don’t really say that. The first part, yes. The second part is me lying to myself, as I am wont to do.
But she’s beautiful, and talented, and funny, and the kind of person people depend on when they can’t depend on anyone else.
She’s everyone’s friend.
Everyone’s mom.
Everyone’s sister.
Everyone’s wife. No, I’m kidding.
I always know my mom will be there for me if I need something, because that’s just the kind of person she is. We might not always see eye to eye, but I love that, too… it means we’re both passionate and strong and secure enough in our relationship to be honest.
I know I’m blessed, to say the least.
And that’s why today’s Love List is for my mom!
It will come in two parts: Things My Mom Loves and Things I Love About My Mom.
And while I know you can’t really chime in with things you love about my mom unless you know her (and feel free, if you do!), but you can say Happy Birthday and rock a love list of your own anywhere you like.
Remember… Fridays are for lovin’.
Things My Mom Loves
My dad
Sean and Carey
Meg
Everyone else
Kids
Dinner parties with people she loves
Decorating and design — and she’s genius at it
Wearing black
Chinese food. Actually, Chinese anything.
Making people look beautiful with her sewing/seamstressing/design gifts
The world’s most irritating cat
Beverages with an unnatural amount of ice
Vanilla Noel lotion
British sitcoms
White towels
Swimming
Mystery novels
Traveling, which she doesn’t get to do often enough
Yellow roses
The raspberry iced tea-lemonade combo
Painting, drawing, sketching. Also genius.
Knitting to stay awake during DVDs
Her watch and bracelet and earrings. Never leaves home without wearing all three.
Cannon Beach, OR
Lecturing her daughter HAHAHAHA
Giant purses that look more like suitcases
Google Image Search
Her knee wedge pillow
Water. She always says (in restaurants when waiters asked her what she wanted to drink), “Oh, water’s fine…” and then takes a sip of hers. Every. Single. Time.
Kooky, strappy heels
A well-made bed
Blistex, which cures everything, apparently
HGTV
Restoring pieces she finds at Goodwill — lamps, “objets”, whatever catches her eye
Motown
Flip flops (you wonder where I got it from? both my parents wear them — though my dad only on the beach or in downtime)
MY BLOG!
and….
Things I Love About My Mom
Her big, amazing heart
Her way with a room — she is the butterfly, the soul, the includer
How she cries at like, EVERYTHING meaningful
Her ability to see what people need, and provide it for them without making them ask or feel silly
Her faith
Her sense of adventure and mischief
That I can still shock her by swearing, but not really
Her nurturing ways. I don’t like having people around when I’m sick, but no one gets it right like my mama.
Her love for my dad
How she shouts on cell phones until my dad (who is in the car with her) and I (on the other end) tell her SHHHHH
Her love of Google Image Search
When she scratches my feet for me
Watching her with babies and kids
Her eye for the right way to set up a room
Her encyclopedic brain
Her GIANT OWL SUNGLASSES
Her inability to clap and sing at the same time
That she holds my hand when we sing hymns when I visit my dad’s church
Her laugh… especially when she’s going so hard she’s crying
Her giant eyes
Her grace
Her sarcasm — yeeeowch!
Her cooking — mmm!
Her ability to tell a story and cry or laugh as she goes on because she’s so in the moment
Her generosity
Her strength of conviction and character, even when we butt heads
That I know her well enough to make a list of things she loves, and to make a list of things I love about her.
I LOVE YOU MOMMY!
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
One thing I love about your mom: that she did such a good job raising a smart, thoughtful, loving daughter. Good list, Meg. And happy birthday, Meg’s mom!
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Happy B’day Mrs. F. Without sounding too much like Eddie Haskell, I’d like to congratulate you on not only being a good mother (which seems so evident in the character of your kids), but also on being a good person. It seems that a life well lived is the best way to inspire others. From what Meg writes here I’d say you’re just really good at living!
Cheers to you on your big day!
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 am
I love that picture. Your mom can definitely rock a hat.
Happy! Day of Cake to her.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
Could NOT have said it better than Grady. Happy Birthday to a terrific woman whom so many of us love through her daughter.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
DO YOU HAVE ANY BLISTEX? Just kidding.
Anyway, love you Mrs F. We’ll come out and see you sometime. :) Happy birthday!
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Happy birthday, Meg’s Mom! (I am only two years younger than you.) I did my love list today too, come on by and check it out.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Happy Birthday, Auntie Judy! I still dream about the icing on your chocolate cake, a culinary genius extraordinaire:)
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
That was the sweetest love list I’ve read so far. I’m glad you recognize how special your relationship with your Mom is and I’m sure she is going to cry when she reads your entry and realizes that you love her as much as she loves you. I don’t have that relationship with my mom and I’m so envious of women that do.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Happy Birthday Meg’s Mom!!!
Meg is a great testament to what a wonderful Mom you’ve been!!
Celebrate! You deserve it!
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Happy BDay Meg’s Mom :)
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Happy Birthday Meg’s Mom!!!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Mrs Fowler, the beauty of life is most felt when shared between people who care about one another, and it’s cool to see that your daughter cares so deeply about you! Happy birthday.
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Happy Birthday Meg’s Mom
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Happy Birthday, Meg’s Mom! :-):-)
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I hope you have a happy, wonderful, sappy, funny, thrilling birthday.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Happy Birthday, Meg’s Mom.
Mine is today too - I’m hoping yours was half as magical. I’m guessing with a daughter like yours, every day is probably pretty great.
I’ve just met her, and she rocks. You’ve done a pretty rad job. And anyone that “cries at like,EVERYTHING meaningful” is aces in my book. The soul was meant to be shaken.
I’d share a piece of my birthday cake if you were here. Enjoy yours ;)
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 pm
stopping by to show meg’s mom some love! happy birthday!!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Happy birthday to Meg’s Mum - it ain’t hard to tell where the daughter got her good lucks and values from, eh?
Many happy returns.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Happy (belated) Birthday, Meg’s Mom!
You BOTH sound like wonderful, amazing, very special women.
Please come to Denver so we can all hang out, ok?
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Blub,sniff… thanks y’all! I’m touched - and not just in the head. I talked to ALL(-I can say ALL instead of both cuz now we have Carey as well as the regular two!)my kids -and got yellow roses from my husband - a great day! (Marie- is that my Ruth’s Marie?!?)I Love y’all.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Happy birthday Megs Mom! Here’s to goooood genes!
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Happy Birthday Meg’s mom! I hope I look half as good at your age. You look like sisters rather than mother and daughter. :)
May 10th, 2008 at 8:22 am
I had to comment on the love of google image searches, which is exactly how I happened upon your lovely blog. Happy belated b-day Meg’s mom. And thanks for sharing Meg.