I was a kid that didn’t have much of an imagination at all-like why would I sit in the tub and pretend the yellow pieces of rubber were real but I had to make their quack sounds?! I didn’t have an imaginary friend either- I just thought I was everybody’s friend and would talk to EVERYONE! I actually would never be quiet. I was not aware of this until my son Hewett, now 9 started to talk and he hasn’t stopped since. I would ask my mom-will he ever shut-up, or not talk, or be quiet? Her reply was you never did-RUDE!!
My mom has always been honest with me and I have certainly been honest with her too! She was that mom that was a super hard-ass. I can remember the one of two times I got grounded. Yep, I only fucked around with her twice-I should have known after the first time she wasn’t messing around!
We lived in a condominium building in Toronto along the Don Valley and I was always allowed to ride my pink banana seat bicycle around the circled driveway-now that I think about it, that was totally sketchy as my mom was like 15 floors up on a balcony probably not even watching half the time, clearly! I decided I would take off to the trusted public park down the road-no biggie I was a very mature second grader who could totally talk to strangers and make friends all over. I was qualified for this adventure. I don’t remember much once I got to the park but I could hear this psycho woman who resembled my mother screaming and running towards the park-oh shit, the psycho was in fact my mom! I got dragged up the road, back inside our condo and thrown into my room. My mom was 50 shades of red, purple, pink and sweaty AF! I thought to myself I have never seen her this way; she must be a little “off”. Well let’s just say she was so off that I was grounded from going to my NKOTB concert-which she clearly bought the tickets for and the fanny pack and the earrings and the t-shirt. Like, I was ready to be the groupie I had always dreamed of being and…well she shattered my dreams and never gave in. She did however throw me an olive branch in the form of a peanut butter sandwich on seedy whole-wheat bread with some chocolate covered almonds-the shit I remember!
My mom was a single mom for most of my childhood, she dabbled here and there with relationships, but I always felt like I came first to her. I am sure she sometimes wished she could trade in her life for a glimmer of glam and a lot less hard work but she never showed that and always made me feel so loved. I have been blessed with her for the last 39-almost 40 years and this year she turns 70….in 5 days to be exact! So why not write a little tribute to her and celebrate all of her that is wonderful!
Growing up in a family of 8 children, my mom was the second oldest and she was left to be very independent; she was the care-taker, the meal maker and was always doing without. A role that she has embraced her whole life (this is sounding like an obituary-but I mean I will have to write one someday, so…). She is a tough cookie and it takes a lot to get close to her. She just isn’t handing out love on a silver platter to anybody, but once you have her love don’t fuck it up! She left home at 16 to work instead of going to school and then moved to England to be a nanny for a while where she met my dad-when they liked each other lol! TBC another time.
Later she made her way back to Canada where her and my dad owned a Christmas tree farm in Roseneath and then her 3 amazing children came along. Tim, Teresa and Rosie (me!!). Life brought her trials and tribulations, moves to different cities, different corporate jobs, as life does for everyone. She even battled breast cancer as a single mom and being tough as nails she kicked its ass too! After all this life she became who she was really meant to be-a baker who works harder now than I think she ever has before. She has been without,
and is lucky to be in abundance now but through it all she has remained positive, strong and been such a role-model! She is private, kind and quiet-unless she has an opinion, then watch out-YIKES! She loves to say for fucks sakes a lot and as a former devoted catholic she uses the J-word a whole lot more than one should. She is loving and passionate about many things but mostly Days of Our Lives, Coronation Street & CNN. Truly family is her everything and they are always her reason no matter what!
My mom is always up for a shopping trip, a concert, dinner out, a spa trip, a gin and soda but mostly she loves to be home, tucked into her cozy nook doing life her way! I guess after 69 years, almost 70, you get to do whatever makes you happy!
Her impact on my life can’t fit down on these pages as it is far too great and I will save those sappy notes for another time but I promise to continue to be a pain in her ass, never stop talking at her, never stop loving her, never stop tormenting her, never stop teasing her but I will never pull her pants down in front of a room full of people again as long as I live (she actually killed me with her eyes in that moment) I am still waiting for my payback!
No matter how you slice it, I love her more!!
Happy 70th Birthday to my Mama!! I hope she gets to retire soon-not too soon though because I have no clue what I am doing!!
MWAH
Rosie xo