The Whites: Mom's Visit

Right now she may be flying back to Japan, but there are so many touches of her still here. Things I don't want to move, that I want to leave just the way they are because they are reminders of our time together. I don't want to eat the leftovers from our fantastic lunch yesterday, I don't want the sheets off of her bed. There's no telling how long I will leave her unsweet tea in the fridge, even though I don't drink it.
Sounds crazy, I know.

I cry sporadically, random moments or thoughts that are too raw. Then I smile at something we said or did together. The definition of bittersweet has never been more accurate.

Some one asked her the other day if the way it felt when it was time to leave was worth the coming back.
In one word, absolutely.
It never gets easier, but to pass up any time we do get to spend together?? Never.

Please don't ever take time you get to spend with your Mom for granted. I promise, it's more special than I'll ever be able to explain to you. Because when the option of it is gone, when getting to hug her only comes every couple of years, it's a life changer.

We had the most wonderful visit. A month has never felt so short.

She was here for me the week before we had Alayna, when I was nine months pregnant, hot and extremely irritable, and was more patient, loving and understanding that I ever would have been with myself. Only a mother's love could have put up with me.

She was here the morning I went into labor and we walked into the hospital.

She was here during the emotional, I am now a mother of two, learning to balance it all breakdown moments. To take a load off of Ben, shouldering my hormonal swings :).
She was here to hand me diapers, washcloths, blankets, clean laundry, to cook breakfasts, lunches, dinners. To hand me a sense of comfort and sanity, the calming 'you can do this!' smile.

She was the one who took each and every memorable picture, for an entire month. Who did all of the memorable touches to the house when we came home - fresh flowers, a new magazine and book, balloons.

She was here to have so much fun, to go shopping, to the zoo, out to coffee, out to lunch, out to wherever we wanted to go... we even went an had pedicures together, which we had never done before. A perfect and thoughtful gift from our sweet Ginger and Ashley. It was an hour and a half of just us two, relaxing, not needing to talk but just being able to be together. It was glorious.

She got to spend a few days with some of the kids and grandkids all together.

She was here to make a birthday cake (and surprise dinner!) for my baby sister, which had been years.

That was a fun night :)

She was here to bond with her girls. But I'll tell you, the strength of the bond between a grandmother and her grandchildren is not very altered by distance. These kids adore her. Kaelyn will no longer go to bed without us saying "sweet dreams, sleep tight". It is what she always said to us, and said to her while she was here, and it's stuck. :) And no one can calm a baby to sleep like her, either. It's like a drug.