Thanks Mom For Not Disowning Me

 

(Mom - I really did try to find a picure where I didn't have a drink in my hand, but just couldn't find one.  Sorry)

Of all the wonderful things my mother has done for me, one of the nicest is not disowning me.

God knows she's had reason.  My sister hasn't been a walk in the park either.

Case in point:

My sister wanted to show us some pics from a fundraiser she attended recently in New York.   

So she pulls out her camera and we all gather around to look at the pictures of the event.  But then, sis just kept going, and proceeds to share ALL the pictures in her camera with my mother and me.

Let me just stop here for a moment.   Think - really think - about all the pictures on your digital camera.  Would you really want your mother to see all of them?

Mom and I traveled with my sister on a journey through her life for the last 3 months.  After the rather tame pictures from the fundraising event, we moved on to her Elvis impersonation, dancing with a Micahel Phelps imitator (a guy in a Speedo with no business being in a Speedo), her Aspen trip where we got to view my sister's best friend dropping her panties off the roof deck to a guy on the sidewalk below, two men wearing fur jock straps over their snowsuits, and finally my sister with 4 guys doing tequila shots off a ski together.  

 

I glanced over at my slightly stunned looking mother and quipped, "It's hard not to be proud."

Now, if we were in our 20's mom might get past this, but in our 40's??

You're probably wondering if I'm purposefully trotting out my sister's bad behavior instead of my own.   OF COURSE I'm trotting out her bad behavior instead of my own.  That's why God invented siblings.

What can I say?  Mom's been through a lot with us.

She suffered through my early days on the Internet when I was so proud that "Holly Buchanan" showed up in the first spot of Google with an article referencing my award winning "Horny Elves" radio commercial.  

She didn't cry when I told her I was leaving a perfectly good high paying job to start my own consultancy.....in the worst economy of the century.

But hey, mooms have their moments, too.  Like when my sister commented that she was afraid her elderly neighbor was trapping squirrels to eat them.  My mother commented that "the young ones can be quite tender."   My sister started to chuckle til she realized mom was serious when a recipe followed.  (Mom grew up in rural Misouri the 11th of 11 children.  She really did walk to school 5 miles in the snow.)

Hidden talents like this just make me love my mom even more. 

One of the biggest reasons I love my mother is because she has never said, "I told you so."  God KNOWS she has had so many occasions she could have deservedly brandished that phrase, but she never has, not once.  How can you not love that?

But that's mom.  She's not one to complain. When my Boston Terrier chose her for his favorite napping partner, not once did she complain about his pillow hogging and snoring so loud it can wake neighbors 3 doors down.   (There was one particularly tender moment when I went in to check on them and the two of them were both sawing logs at a decible so loud the windows were vibrating. If Synchronized Snoring ever makes it to the Olympics, I've got the winning team.)  

If there's one thing that I've learned from my mother (there are actually tons of things, but I don't want her to think I was actually paying attention all those years - don't want to ruin my reputation) - it's this -

Mom always told me "You're a cute kid."   You wouldn't think that would have that big of an impact, but I have to tell you, in my darkest moments, it is my mother's voice, uttering that very phrase, that gets me through.

So this Mother's Day, my advice to moms everywhere is this - tell your children you think they are cute kids.  They will believe you.

And please censor your digital photographs before sharing. You'll thank me later.

Comments

[Mode]

Mom is always the most important person in your life.

[Mary Dean]

Sounds like my kind of family. This made me laugh so hard and I can relate to every moment in it. Here's to siblings that only a mother could love! If it weren't for them, I doubt I'd be included in any family events.
Actually, I scored big points with mom this year by having an artist friend of mine create a unique piece with my mom's name reference right there in the title. A big hit! Highly recommend similar tactic for anyone angling for extra brownie points this year.
Oh, and Holly, you ARE a cute kid. I'm sure your mom is proud

[Michele Miller]

Here's to Mama Buchanan! Who's lookin' mighty fine, I might add. :-)

Terrific post - we should all write so honestly about our lives.. especially when it involves busting our sister. Hmmm... that gives me an idea... :-)

[Heather Buchanan]

payback is a bitch...
Your loving sister

[Holly Buchanan]

Mode, Mary and Michele - moms rock, don't they?

Heather - yeah, totally threw you under the bus. Am now living in fear of retaliation photos.

POST SCRIPT - mom read thet post today and enjoyed it. she remarked "oh yes, those photos you showed me - like the ones of your friends with their fingers in their noses." I had to come clean that those were actually MY photos, not my sisters. I should take my own advice.

It also sparked an interesting conversation with one of my Jewish friends who was visiting while mom read the post as to whether squirrel is kosher.

(You simply cannot make this stuff up.)

Happy Mom's Day to all the moms out there. You rock.

[Jennifer]

Ha! What we put our mom's through...you have to love them :)

I really like this blog!

[Holly Buchanan]

P.P.S. - mom wants to send this to my Aunt Judy with the caption "This is why some animals eat their young."

How much do I love her?

[Ying Cheng]

Holly, what wonderful mother you've got! What nice stories!

[provides access]

best one yet. I was rolling!!! hahaha