Mutha...

Well, originally I was going talk about comics but I didn't buy any comics this week,so let's talk about Mother's Day.

I anticipate tomorrow's Mother's Day as possibly being emotionally rough.My mother lives thousands of miles away and is in poor health.As the saying goes,she has good days and bad days.I speak to her maybe twice a week and I speak to my aunt who takes care of her 4-5 times a week.My mother is usually in good spirits,but I'm hoping tomorrow something doesn't set her off.I love my mother and it's devastating to hear her cry over the phone and I'm in another state.I'm going to fly down to see her the end of the month,but still...She's always been a strong woman and it's more the depression caused by her condition that gets to her more than anything else.She'd always been incredibly independent and it turned her world upside down.

Before her stroke,my mother lived outside of the country and I hadn't seen her face to face for several years.March '09 I finally went to see her.I'm glad I did.She said she wanted to talk about legal stuff concerning her affairs.We didn't do any of that.We basically hung out, watched TV, and drove around the countryside.She was happy.The only downside was when she complained about mild chest pains and not being able to get over the flu.She had a doctor's appointment,but blew it off cuz she wanted to go back to work.I came home.About a month later she had a stroke.

I thank God for my aunt for being able to step up.She's an angel and a soldier.

I also think about an old friend I used to have.We went to school together and lost touch.I ran into him and we renewed our friendship for awhile.While catching up,he confessed that he'd been estranged from his mother since his marriage.He described a particularly ugly incident between the two of them,and in the back of my mind I just couldn't imagine such a scene between me and my mother.I'll admit I'm no angel.I've done messed up stuff that I regret and can never take back,but still...my mother has always forgiven me and I've never had a ugly/angry thought directed towards her.

So anyway...if you're lucky enuff to still have your Mom with you let her know that you love her.And even if you can't afford to spent money on a fancy dinner, just spend the evening with her and crack jokes about whatever dumb shows she wants to watch.Trust me.she'll appreciate it.