The following article was written less than one year after my mom died. Now, six years later, I still find myself gravitating toward mom. This time, I spent time with my high school / college friends and their kids in Tampa. Alba and Kristen will always be my best friends. And Jaymie. They were in my wedding, I was in theirs. There is something surreal about having friends for 25 years. First of all you realize they have often known you longer than your spouse. Which at times is quite beneficial. Especially when life-changing decisions must be made. And that is what happens on a daily basis. You see, you get to a point in your life when you realize your best friends will fit on the sofa in your living room. It's really that simple. And it really was a great Spring Break.
Sharing Mom on a Moms Weekend
February 27, 2002
"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
This quote by Marcel Proust about people who make us happy brought to mind one of my best friends, Alba, who shared her mother with me recently. We got together for a Moms Weekend. For the first time in three years, I tested my ability to leave home. I knew it would allow father and son to have a special bonding experience, the question was, “Could I?”
After weeks of planning, a group of nine moms and one grandmother embarked on a two-hour road trip to Savannah, Georgia. We met at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning in the K-mart parking lot and caravaned our way north. We spent the day doing what women do best --shopping at outlet malls. Surprisingly, I found myself venturing from store to store on my own and thoroughly enjoying the solitude of browsing at my leisure. I even found three great bargain books at the Book Warehouse — one for my son, "The Sunflower Parable" and one for my spouse,"Desecration," and one for me, "The Heart Reader."
From the outlet malls, a group of us headed to the hotel to get checked-in and freshen up for a night on the town. There I had a chance to start reading as we waited the arrival of our fellow moms. Later some of us headed out to explore river-front shops, enjoying a late-night dinner, then meeting up again with the gang for the evening. Being the early-to-bed, early- to-rise kind of gal that I am, it was not long before I was ready to call it a night at a mere 11 p.m.
My best friend’s mom was ready to call it a night as well, so together we strolled the city sidewalks back to the hotel. Without missing a beat, the others enjoyed the starry night of historic Savannah while the thought of warm covers and a good book beckoned me “home.”
Early Sunday morning Mrs. Hernandez and I headed down to enjoy that first cup of coffee and a continental breakfast as the others slept in. I felt as if our morning together was somewhat a gift since I had lost the companionship of my own mother less than a year prior. Mrs. Hernandez and I had known each other for quite a long time; her daughter and I went to high school together, we were roommates in college, we were in each other’s wedding and so on. Plus we share a kindred spirit in that she is Puerto Rican and my mom was Turkish, so it became obvious that we appreciate cultural diversity.
Once the gang was up that morning, we escaped on a trolley tour of historic Savannah, drinking in the beautiful 1800 architectural homes situated around beautiful town square parks of lush green grass and huge shady oak trees. About half-way through, we took a break for lunch and walked along cobblestone streets searching for a diner that could accommodate our large group. Once we had our fill, we continued site-seeing, some exploring shops or mingling in the warm sun, while others ventured to art galleries and museums.
By the time I got home, I had many memories of my first trip away from home. Not to mention surviving homesickness. Indeed, I returned feeling grateful to be back. Sometimes it is the simple things in life, like breakfast with Mrs. Hernandez, that makes our soul blossom, especially as we continue our journey into motherhood.