YOUR MOTHER'S DAUGHTER

A blog written by my niece sent my mind wandering about my mom. The blog was not about moms, it was about napkins. She mentioned how older folks, especially grandmas always seem to have a tissue, paper towel or something on or near by at all times. As my mother got older, more and more there was always a paper towel in her hand or a tissue in her pocket or tucked into the sleeve of her blouse. My siblings and myself would shake our heads when helping her with the laundry cause 9 out of 10 times tissue that was left in a pocket was spread all over the clean clothes. The problem with that is I find myself doing that all the time. I can't sit at the table without a paper towel in my hand. And yes I do stick them in the sleeve of my shirt.

It's amazing what DNA does for you. My mom was of German heritage and dad Italian. We never mentioned or lived the German part. We were Italian in our actions, food and even friends but as I age I can't go a day without someone who knew my mom say "I feel like I'm looking at your mom right now. You look so much like her." And looks are not the only thing.

I think I am the luckiest of my siblings. Not to brag, or maybe I am, but I think I have picked up some of my mom's best traits. When my first child was starting school there was a parent meeting to get to know the teacher. Talking to my mom that day she warned me, "Don't volunteer for anything". "Sit on your hands." You see she was a doer. She was involved in everything we did growing up. I used to get so mad at my friends as a teen cause they loved her and wanted her chaperoning everything we did. Parties, dances, trips to the beach. Not much fun to have your mom around all the time but really I was proud of her. Needless to say before I left that meeting, I was the room mother, craft helper and anything else they needed me to do and I have been volunteering my whole life. I will join.

I am also proud to say I picked up her crafty talents. She did it all and was self taught. I don't ever remember her hiring a decorator, she did it all herself. Someone asked me how much a painter would cost. My reply was "I don't know, never hired one." I just did it. She never had a lesson in her life in any craft but got a job as a craft teacher with the Chicago park district. She taught herself to design and make her own hats. I never went that far, hats for women went out of style, but I was never afraid to try anything. I love art, crafts and decorating and in my next life I will become a famous designer or artist of some kind.

All thanks to you, mom. And still after 15 years I miss you daily and want to pick up the phone and ask you for help on some project I am working on.