Hi Mom!

My mom reads my blog but said the other day that she wasn't sure if she should. Well of course she should. Look - she's even on it!

When I started school, I missed my mom so much during the day that I invented reasons to go to the nurse to try to get my little self sent home. Poor Mrs. Peak, the gullible school nurse. Either she was an incredible pushover or she really didn't care, becasue no excuse was too crazy. My underwear was too tight, I got a sliver on the playground, my earrings made my ears hurt, and of course, my favorite excuse: my tummy ached. Anything to get her to call my mom to come get me.

My mom couldn't always come pick me up and I was always so disappointed when one of my grandparents came to get me. Ug, not Grandpa. It was like a wasted excuse to go home because I still wasn't with my mom.

At some point after I started the first grade, I decided to take a picture of my mom to school with me so I wouldn't miss her so much. I framed this picture of her on vacation with my dad and kept it in my pencil box. I would sit at my desk, take my pencil box out of my bag, set up my pencil, my eraser, and my picture of Mom on my desktop. Then I was ready to start the day.

It really seemed to work. Although I still missed her so much, I felt like she was there with me. The trips to Mrs. Peak's office became fewer and I eventually learned how to spend the day at school without my mom.

I love this picture and I still have it, twenty-four years later. I took it to college with me and I still keep it on my desk at home because no matter how old you are, you can still miss your mom.

And now I want to cry. Sorry Mom, you're probably tearing up, too. Keep reading my blog and know that I still miss and love you very much!