We Began as Mother and Daughter and Became Best Friends
May 2024 Issue
Inspirations for Better Living
I don’t celebrate Mother’s Day for me. I’m not a mom unless you count being a pet parent to our two cats. I think it counts, but the cats are oblivious to the idea. Mother’s Day in our house is a celebration of my mom, not me. We used to go out to a restaurant of her choosing, or I would at least run some ideas by her before making a reservation. We don’t do that anymore.
Mom’s good days and bad days are unpredictable. Congestive heart failure wears her out fast these days. Foot pain and back problems don’t help either. If she’s having a good day, we’ll go to a restaurant. Otherwise, I'll have her join us for lunch at my house. She’s comfortable with a smaller group of people who she knows well. I’ll fix something special that she really loves, like a quiche or French Toast Bake with a side of fresh mixed fruit. Something decadent for dessert must be on the menu, too. Mom loves her sweets. I inherited this trait from her.
Mother’s Day brings back a lot of memories for me. I think about all the times Mom fixed my scraped knees, chaperoned school field trips, and advised me to always be able to take care of myself. The internet didn’t come around until I was in my thirties, so Mom was my go-to person for cooking questions, dating woes, and marital advice. She helped me paint my house once, too. She could do anything she set her mind to do.
Things are different now. It’s my turn to help her. She doesn’t like it that she can’t do things for me like she used to. She tells me I work too hard when I come to see her. It doesn’t feel like demanding work to bring her groceries, unload her dishwasher, and help her pay monthly bills. Going to doctor appointments and running errands aren’t difficult tasks. This is how the circle of life works. She tells me she will never be able to repay me for all I do for her, but I think it’s the other way around. I mean, her side of the ledger has an entry for giving birth to me. That’s a pretty big deal. We have always been great as mother and daughter, but what I really love is how we’ve grown into best friends.
