Those Midnight Sheep

LATE LAST NIGHT DURING THE BLACKOUT, I lay in bed counting sheep. My boyfriend was asleep and so were the pets. The wind howled as it rained outside and without any power, there was really nothing to do but sleep.

Then I remembered all the blackouts we'd have back in the 90's. There would be nothing to do but my mom and I would always find some way to while away the time; playing Scrabble by candlelight, playing Boggle, singing, chatting, teasing my brother who was still very little then.

Those may have been our best times together. Without the bickering and the nagging, the hurting and annoying, the stress brought about by expectations and disappointments and growing up and life and living, our best moments were simply spent doing nothing. With each other.

So though there is a bit of dread in sitting through her chatter in tonight's dinner, I thoughtfully celebrate having a mother.

A mother who was mine.

And who was there.

A belated Happy Mother's Day to all.

Illustration by Marcela Cardenas, www.marcelacardenas.com