May 18, 2016

round 4 from the archives, hug your moms

**Originally posted May 18, 2015.

Musings from Saturday night:

My mom just left Houston. Freddie and I stopped for groceries. Now we're back and he's asleep on the couch. From the window I can see the sun setting over a cityscape. I'm up "high," six stories from the bayou, and as I look out at the big buildings and interstates I'm thinking...

holy poop, we moved. 

Transitioning is a silly thing to do. You get worked up, anxious, excited, worried, excited again, worried again, and all with a touch of fear. Sometimes it feels like time will never ever speed up, but then all of a sudden you blink and the time has passed. Suddenly you're in Houston, your mom is gone, and it hits you like a ton of bricks: you have transitioned. Successfully. It happened. You survived. The sun is setting. Tomorrow is another day. Shoot, in just a few days it'll be Christmas, I'm sure!

But for now let's go back to the mom leaving part and the transitioning part. I could not have done any of this transitioning without my mother. Well excuse me, that is a lie. Technically I could have done all of it, but it would not have been half as graceful or fun without my mother. And really, what is the point of living if it's not to do things with grace and enjoyment (and with your mom)?

My mom left behind her work, her dad, my dad, my sister, and her precious puppies to drive across the country with/for me. 
Then she drank with me on Bourbon Street.
Then she ate beignets with me.
Then she helped me unpack and decorate every inch of our new apartment.
Then she studied a map of Houston with me so we could act like we knew what the ham sandwich is going on in this city. 
Even when we said IKEA was east of the city when the map claimed it was west...

Then she got a tattoo with me because why not? Finding a tattoo parlor in a new city is just as important as finding a grocery store. 
Then she left.

And then I was left thinking, Dayum, I am really lucky when it comes to the mom department. Double dayum, am I going to be that rockstar of a mom/person some day?

Obvi, it's in my blood and all. Wink.

Hmmm, I guess what I'm trying to say is go hug your mom. Right now. Do it. Hug your mom or your dad or your friend or anyone who is amazing towards you. If you learn anything from this space of mine, learn that Mother's Day is every day and you should shower those you love with love and attention every day. Especially on the days when your mom drinks Hurricanes with you in NOLA. And the days she says Sure! Let's get a tattoo! And the days she drops everything to help you transition.

The End. 

3 comments:

Mattie @ Northwest Native said...

I love that you guys got tattoos together! Can you believe I've never eaten a beignet in my life? I desperately want to try one...but I also desperately want to visit NOLA so I'm like...maybe I should have my first ever beignet be in NOLA. Yes?

Unknown said...

I am so glad you reposted this. I almost got teary eyed because I feel the same way about my mom. She drops everything and comes to VA to visit me all the time. She's fantastic and she's my best friend. She's visited like 5 times in the past few months because we are getting a dog soon (still don't even have the dog) and she is excited. So silly, but so awesome.

This was beautiful and so fun to read. P.S. I want tattoos with my mom now. And five hours away from mom feels hard for me, so I am sure it is hard to be way farther!

Emily said...

Um, sounds like you and your mom need to be me and my mom's best friends. Done. I wish my mom could visit more! I'm putting up a motion to move Texas and Georgia closer together.

P.S. You DEFINITELY need tattoos with your mom! We have another matching one that my sister also has, but this one that just the two of us have is more special ;) shhh.