Messages from Mom
This morning my wife left before the kids were awake. She really wanted to say goodbye, so instead of a hug and a kiss she wrote a note to each boy.
I read the youngest’s note to him when he got up. He smiled as I read it to him, then didn’t believe me when I said it was from Mom. The eldest read his, and tried to decypher the hieroglyphics that were a pair of arms giving a hug and lips giving a kiss. Mom, it seems, doesn’t meet his artistic standards. But I think they both were pleased to get a note from Mom.
When my sisters and I were growing up there were times that our mom wasn’t home after school. Often she helped out at our dad’s office when they were between assistants. During those times, we’d rush into the kitchen as soon as we got home. On the counter there was an old tape recorder. We’d push the play button (sometimes it was really hard to engage), and Mom’s voice would come from the tinny speaker. She’d welcome all of us home and tell us what we could have for a snack. Then she’d leave a little encouraging message for each kid. Her messages always ended with her telling us she loved us. You could hear the smile in her voice when she said it.
There’s just something special about a message from Mom.