and I needed Mom so bad.
But things had changed.
I was hooked into my life
Adam running, laughing, whining
Amy babbling
Paula visiting with her three girls
my church
the choir I sang in
and even the new-fangled bottle boiling pan
that my mother-in-law had given me
that had eight holes to put the bottles in
so that you could boil a whole bunch at one time.
I didn't really miss Mom much anymore
or even think about her
truth be told.
I talked to Larry about going
and saw the look of annoyance cross his face
he was busy
it would take up a whole weekend
but in the end he said yes
we would go
because after all Mom did deserve to see
her first grandchildren.
What a trip it was!
Adam sat in the front seat between us
and we put Amy in a carbed in the back
and we argued over whether to throw the dirty diapers out
which I wanted to do
or to consider the money that they cost
and keep them all in a bag
in the trunk
which Larry wanted to do.
Eight hours of frustration
babies crying
hunger pangs
pit stops
arguments
and finally we got to New York City
only to get lost in Harlem
and have men knocking on our windows
banging on the hood
wanting to clean the car
or the windows.
Larry got nervous
and he didn't want to ask directions
so we drove around and around
trapped in a seemingly endless Harlem
babies whining
until we finally found a way out
and drove into Brooklyn
just as the setting sun was lighting up
the Verrazano Bridge.
Mom was glad to see us
and so was Daddy
who had a big smile and called me Lynna-Girl
and I was surprised that all the babies
were half-grown
and the parsonage didn't stink of diapers
but the worst part for me
was that my little Mom
was growing old.
She had brown freckles on her arms
blue veins had popped up on the backs of her hands
her once-pert little bosom sagged
her hair was almost all gray
wrinkles were growing around her lips
and she took a lot of Milk of Magnesia.
A horrible knowledge flooded through me
prickling my arms and legs
burning through my heart.
Life was just plain out too darn short to waste time
being mad at Mom about all those babies
or resentful because I wasn't her only daughter anymore
or disinterested because it was easier to forget than to forgive
and I better make the most of this visit
because time was stealing my beautiful little Mom.
Music Playing: Wind Beneath My Wings
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