I am my Mama's Daugher

When I was very young I wanted to be just like my mama.  I remember playing with my dolls and playing house and always being a like my mama, lots of kid, cooking and sewing.  When I was a little older I drew pictures of my wedding day, pictures of myself with a dozen kids.  Mama, loved the arts, crafts and sewing.  She encouraged all her children to love them as well. 

Then when I got into Jr. High School I decided I did not want to be just like mama; who in the world wants to be home all the time, catering to the males in our family, working so much, all the time.  I decided then that I really did not want to have a bunch of kids...I really wasn't sure that I wanted kids at all.  I like that we had a lot of family around all the time, the family gatherings were always so big and entertaining.  Then when dad died, I was 14, I had to grow up very fast.  Life changed. Most of my siblings were married or had moved out of the house (I'm the youngest of 12) so it was just mama and I.  The older I got the less I wanted to be like mama.

Needless to say, I got married and had two beautiful sons. When the my oldest was an infant mama kept him while I went to work and I felt so blest, I knew that she'd take very good care of him.  Mama took lots of pictures of him while I was at work so I felt like I really wasn't missing out.  Mama taught him his prayers, how to right his name, how to say please and thank, she took him on walks, taught him about gardening and lots more.  Fast forward three years later, my youngest was born, my mother-in-law kept him, I was still very blest but it just wasn't the same.  Needless to say I'm not the mama my mama was.

Fast forward twenty some odd years, both boys have been to the university, the oldest one is married now to a wonderful woman, the youngest has moved out and is on his own.  I've had my share of ups and downs but through out the years I kept looking back at mama as an example of what I should do.  Divorced now, I'm on my own again.  I'm rediscovering who I am; I guess I can say "I'm doing it my way!".  

Mama was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) about ten years and has lived with one of my sister for the last six years.  However, this year mama moved in with me.  Before mama came to live with me I planned out how my house should be to accommodate her special needs, what she'd need in the way of diet, caregive, schedules, exercise and much more. You see, I'm kind of a control freak, so I plan ahead of time.  What I didn't realize with all the planning I did was that I was planning the logistics but not really realizing what it would be like having her here.  I've learned a lot about PD over the last several months.

Recently I've learned that I am my "Mama's Daughter", in so many ways I'm like her.  My blog is about mama, myself, our daily experiences, PD, cooking, crafting, sewing and family!