Lessons from our Lovely Children

How quickly our children grow up.  For me, this is a monumental year with two daughters graduating – one from the University of Missouri, the other from Little Rock Christian Academy.  One will leave college for the big world of life; the other will begin college this fall.  And tonight is one of those senior high milestones we call “the prom.”  There is nothing much more fun than to help you daughter get ready for a special night like the prom. 

Today Anna-Lee and I began the day early with our first stop to buy a new handbag.  While Anna-Lee went to have a pedicure, my dear friend Jan took me to run a few more “prom errands” – picking up boutonnières, and purchasing a fabric steamer to get the beautiful blue prom dress wrinkle-free.  We met back at the house, and then it was off to GloTan for her final tan package, then to the Belk Clinique counter for a make-up makeover.  From there we went to have her hair fixed.  What a day – so much to get done.  And by the time we got back home, the curse of chemo had hit me hard.  I now have 100 degrees in fever.  Not good, especially since the day’s schedule was not yet complete. 

The plan was for several of us moms to be at Megan’s home to watch our girls get ready, to be there when their dates picked them up.   After that the LRCA tradition is to have photographs made by the Hickory Hills Bridge.  Parents have rented a trolley for transportation tonight, so the plan was to follow the trolley by caravan to Pavilion in the Park to take more photographs as the seniors enter the atrium for their dinner and prom dance. 

But tonight, I will not be there.  After taking my temperature I cried knowing that the wisest course of action was to stay home, get my fever down, to keep myself from having a trip to the hospital.  My Mom friend Amy was at the house, and she agreed.  How upsetting for a mom like me . . . until Anna-Lee spoke and made me realize how thoughtful and mature she really is. 

She said to me, “Mother, it’s okay.  You have cancer.  It changes the game plan, but everything is fine.  You spent the entire day helping me get ready.  And you’ve never missed an event like this ever before.  You need to stay home and take care of yourself.  It’s going to be okay.  I love you."  

Out of the mouths of babes, as we say.  Anna-Lee is so awesome, so much more mature at her age than I ever was.  When I was 17-years-old, I'm certain that it was all about me, never about my mother.  So I’ll sit here tonight, eat my homemade Matzah Ball soup from Richard and Sheila, and remind myself of how blessed I am to have a daughter like Anna-Lee with such a beautiful heart, a daughter who teaches ME a few lessons about love and caring from time to time.

I love you Anna-Lee.  Have fun tonight, and what a wonderful life you have to look forward to.  Thank you for being such an incredible young woman, such a terrific daughter.  I am one lucky Mom!!