Author: Jen Rios

Today, as in most days, when my Mom and I complete our morning routine to get me ready for the day, we listen to a mix I made for her on my Apple Music account. I made it for a surprise 65th birthday party for her that we never ended up having. We can still listen to the mix though! It’s saved on my playlist as, “Mom/Abuela.”

We listen to that playlist most days and in the beginning, she would be surprised that she liked so many of the songs. I had to tell her that the songs were chosen SPECIFICALLY for her, (my brother, Ray, was really instrumental in choosing the songs). All of the songs live in my peripheral memory of growing up and hearing my Mom sing along with these songs either in our kitchen or in the green station wagon. It wasn’t until we started working together in the mornings that I found out a few things.

When this song comes on, my Mom gets a kind of far away look and smile’s. I asked her why she does that and she told me this song reminds her of driving to Oklahoma as a newlywed. She drove at night while my Dad slept so they could get there faster because my Dad had to report it to the fort because even though he was stateside, he was still in the military.

My Mom kind of chuckles when she remembers when my Dad woke up and he didn’t know where they were. When my Mom told him, he asked her how fast she was driving because they were really far! She told him simply that she was driving 90 mph! He protested because the car was new and he told her she should NOT be driving it that fast but as she tells me, she just smiles and says that no one was on the road and it was really smooth so she just gunned it!

I remember seeing a picture of my Mom laying on the hood of the car that was named, “Twilit.” The car was a 1970 Chevy Impala. I pulled up a couple pictures and my Mom couldn’t quite remember the color. It’s between these two colors:

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I like hearing stories about my parents when they were first married and before they were parents. I don’t know them NOT being parents! I like seeing the look of, “remember-y.” That’s a word Sean used to use when he was about three years old and I’ll write about that a little bit later…

Something I realized a few days ago was that I had no idea how almonds were grown! I guess I never thought about it. I like almonds and I eat them but I had no idea where they came from. I saw an almond milk commercial with a little girl and her grandpa or something talk about how almonds are grown and they showed an almond blossom. I had no idea that almonds grew on trees!

I searched YouTube for that commercial but I couldn’t find it but I watched a few of the videos that explain how they are grown and harvested. I only searched that information after reading a book that I just finished and really liked!

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Toward the end of the book, Kaplan talked about a mug that she kept on her desk that she got from a trip she took with her husband to Amsterdam. She wrote about the image of a Vincent van Gogh painting depicted on the mug. The title of his painting was, “Almond Blossom.”

I was not familiar with the painting so I looked it up. But it was after I read her explanation of the how and why van Gogh painted it that my mind was blown! He was in a hospital in the depths of despair and depression when he received a letter from his brother, Theo. Theo had always supported him and often would buy paint or canvas for Vincent. Theo and his wife, Johanna, had just had a son. They named their son, “Vincent” after Vincent van Gogh.

The painting was a, “Thank you” to him. Kaplan talked about being in a van Gogh Museum and seeing that painting juxtaposed to other paintings of death and despair. I understood her having that replica mug of that painting as being proof of hope and gratitude that van Gogh felt toward his brother. I think if someone named their daughter after me, I would have to do SOMETHING as a way of thanks! I can’t paint but…

Reading this explanation, I just HAD TO HAVE that mug! I found it online but being on a fixed income now, I couldn’t swing it. I found a cheaper version on Amazon so I ordered it. It’s coming tomorrow.

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You know that, “I love me some mugs” so… for me, it did not even matter that I am spent until my April SSI/D check gets into my account in a couple of weeks. It’s all about, “Simple pleasures” and I am going to have to read up on van Gogh and the reasons surrounding the painting, “Almond Blossom.”

My Mom picked up the next book I am going to read for me from the bookstore yesterday. While she was there, a couple books caught her eye and one of them was titled, Body Language, my Mom told me that she has always been interested in learning what someone’s body language means and as I flipped through the pages, I began singing Ursula’s song, “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid repeatedly! I had to look up this song to show my Mom the video because she didn’t know what I was talking about as I sang the line with, “Body language” in it over and over!

That’s the type of song that has to be belted out at the top of your lungs as your phone volume is turned all the way up and my Nom just smiled and kind of laughed a little bit at me singing this song with such gusto!

I was really surprised that I still knew most of the words 30 years later! My friends and I mostly sang Ariel’s songs when we were in 2nd grade but we watched the movie so much that I guess, subconsciously, I learned all the words to Ursula’s song as well! This song was in my head all day yesterday, especially the, “Body language“ line and since I didn’t leave my house yesterday, no one was here to be bothered by my singing!

Not only did my Mom pick up my book for me yesterday, she got some books for herself, AND she bought both of us a bookmark!

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I have just been using the paper bookmark they give you at the bookstore when you buy books that advertises some book club meeting from back in the beginning of February. At least I graduated from the return envelopes from credit card offers. It’s not like the purple monster bookmark with blue eyes that my student made for me so many years ago that I am somehow hoping it’s stuck in a book somewhere in my house and I will find it one day; but, I will HAVE to use this one! My Mom and I will be MATCHERS!!!

Last night, I was very tired before the beginning of my Mom’s and my evening routine. My Mom was also tired. It’s a very rare thing when BOTH of us are tired but that’s how it was last night but the routine needed to be completed. When my Mom transfers me, I lean in and wrap my arms around her neck as she wraps her arms around me.

This time, last night, just after I wrapped my arms around my Mom and my Mom wrapped her arms around me we didn’t say anything to each other but both of us let out a very loud and manly grunt as she transferred me. Me because I was tired and her because she was tired as well!

We both matched the length and volume of our grunts and once I was transferred and she let go, we both started laughing HYSTERICALLY for what seemed like a long time and then she leaned into me and let me know that we were, “The epitome of femininity!“ just after she said this to me, I smiled.

At the exact time that I smiled, Sean mimicked both of us from his room and then we started laughing even MORE hysterically!!! Right after we heard Sean’s imitation of us, my mom reiterated what she said earlier, “DEFINITELY the epitome of femininity!”

Despite both of us being tired, we still completed our nightly routine and soon enough, I was tucked-in safely into bed. MS is neither fun nor funny and what I have to deal with is the same. The laughter we shared last night, helped just a little bit!

I am a little bit frustrated at the fact that I cannot read as quickly as I used to! I was hoping to finish the book I’m reading today but my eyes let me know that I needed to stop ringing. I am very much enjoying, The Gratitude Diaries!

In my reading today, Kaplan talked about Dr. Jacano. He is a renowned plastic surgeon and he goes to Laos to give children free cleft lip surgery annually. The moment I read that, I thought fondly of the student I had so many years ago! He’s got to be 24 now and I don’t know if he’s had surgery about it or not but I really hope he has! It was actually Sean who reminded me of this story.

It had to be during my first two years teaching English when I posed a question to my students. It was for, “Writing Wednesday” and I asked them what they would do if they we’re given $100,000. For extra credit, the students could volunteer to read their writing to the class and to give the class opportunity to hear it. I really liked it! It went with all aspects of the GLCE’s that we were supposed to be teaching at the time. (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening – if I remember correctly)

Then, I had a student volunteer to read his writing that really affected me! I can’t remember his name but I can see his face and his glasses. He had a cleft lip. He went right into how he would spend his $100,000. He talked about paying bills for his parents, buying them a house, I think he said he would buy them a car, and then he ended his essay with a sentence that made me gasp and bite my lower lip and will myself NOT to cry!

He ended his essay with, “If there’s any money left over, I will get my lip fixed.” I remember telling my mom about that essay when I got home and Sean must’ve overheard it when he was in his room. He reminded me of that story I told him not too long ago and again it made me cry just like writing this post made me cry also!