Spent part of my day outside today. That is, after spending most of it indoors at work. But at least I got to leave in the early afternoon.
My Mom and I went to place a grave blanket on my Dad’s grave this afternoon. We bought a bare blanket and spent some time decorating it with ribbons and bows. This is the first time we decided to decorate it ourselves and we actually had a fun time doing it. We did a fine job, if I do say so myself!
Afterwards, we went out for an early dinner and had some nice conversation. Overall, it was a great afternoon.
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So I’m thinking that Mom & I should make it an annual thing … something we can do together. Because there’s not much we do together.
It’s not that we don’t get along … it’s just that we don’t share a lot of the same interests or find a lot of things in common.
I wish we could … find things more in common. Which is strange to say, since she is my mother. We should have tons of things in common. But we don’t.
It’s one of those things that I shouldn’t do … but I blame part of it on the fact that I don’t have children.
(Yes, I’m bringing out the “Infertility Card.”)
We’ve never really had much in common, even growing up. But I always thought that once I had a baby, I’d be able to turn to my Mom for some “I don’t know what the h*ll I’m doing”-bonding.
And even if we didn’t always see eye to eye, I would put our differences aside if my kids wanted to spend time with their “Lola.”
But since the kids/grandkids thing isn’t going to happen, I want to find some way to bond with my Mom; to connect with her.
So maybe it won’t be bonding over what latest funny thing “Johnny” just did. Maybe it’ll have to be bonding over what we’ve lost together … her, a husband; me, a dad.
What am I grateful for today? The time spent with Mom, bonding over my Dad.
