This past week my mother came to visit us (I have a brother and sister that lives in Cali as well) but I like to think that she came to visit me! If you don’t know, I LOVE MY MOTHER! Steph and I have a bond. One where I can call her Steph just as long as I am not seriously thinking that I am getting away with calling her by her first name. It absolutely drives my friends crazy. They’re so jelly. 
I also talk to my mom like 8 times a day. Not because we have an obsessive relationship but because our convos are usually cut short because we got to go into a meeting or something. Sometimes we just share a thought and hang up. I would text her but her phone is like the world’s first palm pilot or something and she doesn’t always get my messages. My sibs totally pick on me about how often I talk to my mom. 
Mom and I have an understanding. I teach her how to use Facebook and she helps me make sound financial decisions. I would never call my mother my friend because of the phrase every kid heard growing up “I’m not your friend, I’m your mother”. But we are kinda like friends. But she will still lecture me and give me unsolicited advice–because as she puts it, “I may not be a manager any more but I am still in consultant position for the rest of your life.” I realized on this last minute there are stages I go through during these visits. The week before I was kind of obsessed with making sure everything was clean and in place. Not because I’m junky but because mom is like super clean and has a way of finding dirt that does not exist. 
But then the day of, I came to the realization that no matter how hard I tried, mom was just going to end up cleaning anyway. All while making it looking so effortless. 
When mom gets here. I like to pretend that I am grown. I like to show that all of the hard work and investment has paid off. I am doing well. I can cook, clean, decorate, pay bills on time, have fun and have some sort of balance. This act of showing off or pretending, only last for a few days. If your parents are staying more than a few days it will be hard to convincingly keep this cover. 
Then there’s the moment when mom does a really mom thing and it tugs at that part of me thats sometimes wishes I could be a kid again. This time it was “Let’s go get groceries, I’ll pay.” OH-EM-GEE!!! Be still my heart! I totally wish I could hop into the shopping cart and pull things off the shelf and put into the buggy–my own version of a real life Throw Back Thursday. 
Sometimes we all need a chance to relive and appreciate things from our childhood that we took for granted. I’m not even ashamed to say that the grocery store trip was not that moment for me. It was the moment when I had a mini breakdown-tears and all- and mom was there with open arms. 
Hugs, encouraging words and great advice. My mom has a way of making everything better. 
When mom left, my house was cleaner, my fridge was full and my self esteem was intact. I needed this time with my mom. Parents are great—mine are the best! I am eternally grateful for the blessing that is mom and dad.
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