Missing Mama

My mother passed away 17 years ago. 17 years.........man thats hard to believe.I remember her face like it was yesterday , yet I miss her like I haven't seen her in a hundred years.How can I begin to describe her. She was tall , had red hair and a wacky sense of humour. She always reminded me of I love Lucy. She would do crazy things just like Lucy. She would give a stranger the shirt off her back , but boy if she thought you had done something wrong , she would chew you up and spit you out. She was mostly self taught as she had to leave school when she was just a little girl , to help raise her brother and sister. But she was a very smart lady. She never worked for anyone else ,because she always had her own business going. Sometimes a clothing store or an auction , sometimes a nightclub. At times she was very well off , but when she died she really didn't have anything , because over the years she had given it all away. When I was growing up , she always had someone staying in our house , because they had fallen on hard times. She never met a stranger and every one in our town knew her , from the very rich to the poorest.She made me laugh all the time , sometimes when I shouldn't.

My daddy was a truck driver ,so he was gone for long periods of time. It always felt like it was just me and mama. She taught me so many things. From her I get my sense of humour, my compassion , and my stuborness. Her favorite saying was 'don't sweat the small stuff'.Sometimes I hear people complaining about their mothers and it makes me sad. I wish mine were still here. No one , absolutely no one will ever take the place of your mother, No one else really cares if your tired or sick or hurt , like your mother does. And even if you're 50 years old , she will still pet you and make you feel like her little girl.

Tommorrow , I will take out the letters that I wrote to her on Mothers day , many years ago. When she passed away , I found them , tucked away ,with other things that were precious to her. I'll read them and cry a little bit , but then I'll thing of something really funny she did and I won't be able to keep from smiling.

Yes,I will miss my mama tomorrow , but I won't be sad. My boys will all either come visit tommorrow , or call. With each 'I love you mama' that I hear , I will remember who taught me how to be a mother. Thank you for all that you taught me and all that I have become. I miss you mama. Happy Mothers Day.