But today I don't want to feel sad. I want to remember the happier times. I want to keep those moments alive with me for the rest of my life. Today I'm sharing some of my favorite memories of my mom.
1) My mom's smile and laugh. Her face lit up every single time she talked about her grandkids. I am so happy she was able to meet and have memories with my girls. She used to ask about them every time we spoke on the phone. I remember so clearly her saying "Where are my grand children?" in a asiany (made up word?) accent. She cracked up at how silly Lily was. And she loved "Avra" Yes, mom called her Avra. I was hoping I picked the easiest English name for my family but she still managed to say it wrong hahaha!
2) My mom used to make her specialty, pho, alot. She knew it would always bring the kids home. We would all come over and she would already have our bowls made like when we were little. I could ask her to cut a mango, or whatever fruit, and she never said "Cut your own fruit, or you're old enough...". She always had this perfect way of slicing up fruit. Growing up I loved baked potatoes. I still love them. But she would always butter and mash them for me. If she were here she would do it for me no question even though I am perfectly capable and grown. You know how moms always do things better??
3) That time we went into the marsh with my cousins snail digging and she went out there in white capri pants. She stepped on this bucket to get back onto the dock and lost her footing somehow. She fell backwards and into the mud. We all were laughing so hard we couldn't breathe! My dad was yelling at us for laughing and not helping my mom up. Her white pants were ruined but she laughed right along with us. I play that back in my head all the time. hahahaha, laughing about it right now!
4) The time we tried to get mom to ride a bike. It had been back in the 70s back in Vietnam since the last time mom rode a bicycle. She decided to try to get back on one. I can see it now in slow motion still as my mom fell over the minute she sat on the bike. You know how when you are leaning over as a bike is tilting? You would normally catch yourself with your foot... Not my mom. She just fell completely over. My sister and I died laughing. My mom just got up, laughed, and I can imagine just sucked her teeth and said something smart in Vietnamese....
5) I was on the phone with my mom trying to tell her how to get to the soccer complex on sally mood road so we could watch my nephew, Alex's soccer game. It was behind the health department and she only knows it as the health department. This is how the conversation on speaker phone went.... Noah and I still talk about that funny conversation...
Me: Okay, mom. The soccer field is right behind the health center.
mom: HEALTH CENTA?
Me: Yes, you know where we used to get our shots?
mom: I do not undastand... What? HEALTH CENTA?
Me: hahaha yes, health center.
mom: (something in vietnamese to the effect) What? mom doesn't understand health centa.
Me: The health department!!!
mom: Oh, ok.. I know
30 minutes later!! hahahha
6) We used to live with my aunt, uncle, and grandparents and my mom used to work the night shift so she would get us snacks and dinner and leave it in the kitchen. But that food would be gone by the time my sister and I came home from school in the afternoon. With so many people living in the same house food was always first come first serve basically. So my mom used to buy these KFC chicken boxes and leave them in the closet in our room so my sister and I could get to it. Seems super insane that my mom used to hide food away for us but it was perfectly normal for us at the time lol.. Mom was always looking out for us.
These are just some of my favorite memories about my mom. Her whole life was us and I'll always remember that. I hope by writing these down I can always come back if I ever forget or need a piece of my mom.
Thanks for reading....
.JPG)
