My Mom
"Therein lies the indescribable magic of motherhood. The gift to give a sense of love that permeates you, despite any situation or age or location. Knowing a mother loves you."
My Mom, The best, which everyone believes and which is always true.
I basically dust Mother’s Day now. I have no kids and my own mother has passed. That doesn’t mean I don’t hold my mum dear in my dark Irish-American heart (it’s important to identify as American, this mess is our problem and ours to solve) and laugh and smile at how wonderful she was. So, my mind wanders to countless examples of my adoration for both of my parents.
In 7th grade I got kicked off the school bus.
In a suburban scene like mine that was a big deal. Parents ran off to work with the trust that the school bus would ferry their children to and fro. Then, some miscreant like me starts throwing haymakers at a kid who threw gum that landed and stuck in my sister’s hair.
I am ejected from bus privileges. One week.
Prior to this decision, I sat in the “office.” Every kid since schooling has begun knows what it means to sit “in the office.” Years later while waiting to be arraigned on criminal foolishness, it was the same feeling. The same high backed bench that demanded your posture pay attention to what you’ve done.
I sat there and heard the Principal and the Vice Principal lament this.
Principal: “You called Ellen Kielty?”
Vice Principal: “I had to, there was a fistfight on a bus!”
Principal: “No, you didn’t. You never call Ellen Kielty! Never! That is last resort!”
That was because my mom took zero shit. She demanded the best that her local education should provide for her kids. She was an aggressive advocate that her kids were encroached to do better. If her kids weren’t occupied and engaged then that was on the school. She took this very seriously and she knew I was “easily distracted.”
When I got tossed off the bus, Ellen took me for breakfast every morning at Morin’s Diner in Attleboro. She told me that what I had done was right because you ALWAYS stand up for family. Then she told me about my own family and asked me about my friends. Those are some of the friends I hold dear to this day. Ellen told me, “If they’re great friends, you’ll know. I’ll judge you by your friends.” As, in most things, she was right.
Years after this my dad, the Kahuna, ponied up for a couple of my high school pals when we shared a house party keg bust, with bail money. I wondered what she was thinking but both got the Kahuna back the money back and Ellen smiled. “Not the best circumstance but impressive show of character, I know they’re good kids, I am glad you did too., considering how stupid this all was!”
My last week of middle school my mom pulled me of school. I spent the week at the pool with the high school kids who had already finished their academic year. I asked Ellen why I didn’t have to go to school that week and she told me.
“We were all afraid you might do something stupid, sweetie,” she said. “Aren’t you glad for that?”
I agreed but when I was allowed back for the last day of school I did toss a lit pack of firecrackers though the principal’s window on my way out of that school. That’s just always been me. In an odd way it still is.
But, my mom always knew best! When I admitted I had done that she nodded and said, “I know. I am just glad you admitted it.” How could I ever lie to her? She knew my everything.
My Mom had three of my siblings behind me, each as equal a handful as I was, and yet she had the wizardry of making each of us feel the center of her universe. Therein lies the indescribable magic of motherhood. The gift to give a sense of love that permeates you, despite any situation or age or location. Knowing a mother loves you.
My Mom was the BEST!
…so was yours!