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I Can't Wait For You To Meet Her

By
Real Estate Agent with Chuck Willman 9334967-SA00

On the car ride to mom's house, my oldest daughter turned to her brand new fiance and said, "I can't wait for you to meet my grandma. She lives in the middle of cotton and corn fields yet every time we go to her house she has some random person visiting her and you'll never be able to figure out how these two people could ever meet in this life, let alone be spending friend time together in the middle of nowhere."

I said nothing but thought she was setting him up for disappointment. Who could live up to such billing?

Sure, my mom has always been a character. And yes, there were times when I'd come home to strangers in the house. But this wasn't an everyday thing. 

---

We passed the dairies, the farms, the little houses on large lots and then finally made the right turn down the road that begins with pavement but turned to dirt just as you reach my parents' house/small farm.

We took the long walk up to the front porch and I began to knock on the screen door.

Too late- mom energetically swung open the door and proclaimed:

"You all need to go down into the basement. There's a Japanese girl who drove up on a Harley. Doesn't speak a lick of English. And we think her name is Meow!"

My daughter smiled approvingly, and said, "Grandma- this is Greg. We're getting married!"

And after that, we followed mom downstairs to meet Meow? (I'm sure I'm misspelling her name.)

---

That's right. My mom is a not your everyday relative.

She raised seven kids... Has too many grandkids & great grandkids for me to count up in my head at the moment.

She knows what it's like to lose a father. And a mother.

She knows the heartache of having a husband at war for a year... and writing him a letter every single day during that unending year.

She's a friend to the friendless.

She sees no color, no handicap,  and no malice in anyone.

Because of her, we learned sign language. We visited prisoners. We mowed lawns or did chores for people she had just met. 

Her personal machinery is driven by the fuel of love.

If cloning were ethical, I would collect my mom's best traits and add them to the human genome.

I feel this way about her, but the beautiful thing is that you probably have similar feelings about your mother or any of the women in your life.

---

I have had the good fortune to have a great mom, and four fabulous sisters and five amazing daughters and four adorable granddaughters.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.

Thank you for continually bringing us the unexpected.

Comments (32)

Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Ron and Alexandra Seigel All my kids, as well as their cousins who share her as a grandma just adore her. She's the best social networker in her age group.

Sharon Tara That she delivered big time for my daughter was such a treat. Her husband gets a kick out of grandma as well.

May 09, 2015 09:40 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Judi K Barrett Bonus points for you:

a) You understand the rural life and all of the fun connections we make

b) I think I've actually passed through your town if I recall... we used to live in Wichita Falls, TX a very long time- aren't you way east of there?

c) My mom's name is Judy.

May 09, 2015 09:43 AM
Captain Wayne - Rowlett Real Estate School
Rowlett Real Estate School - Panama City, FL
Rowlett Real Estate School / Owner and Instructor

I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day with the ones you love.

May 09, 2015 11:46 AM
Georgie Hunter R(S) 58089
Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers - Haiku, HI
Maui Real Estate sales and lifestyle info

I would love to meet your mom too!  I hope she's going to have a great mother's day tomorrow.

May 09, 2015 12:01 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hi Chuck - What a post.  What a story.   And definitely a book or a movie script in the making.  

May 09, 2015 12:44 PM
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

Good morning Chuck, what a great tribute to your mother.  Wish mine was still around.  So many unanswered questions

May 09, 2015 07:54 PM
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Chuck, what a great story and tribute to your mom.  You will have to tell us the rest of the story about the Japanese girl in the basement another time!

May 10, 2015 12:17 AM
Karen Winters, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Koenig Rubloff Realty Group - Chicago, IL - Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL

Hi Chuck, everyday is Mother's Day for your mom--she is the epitome of a mother's love. God bless her.  

Happy Mother's Day to her, and to all the moms in your family!  

May 10, 2015 02:25 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Captain Wayne - Rowlett Real Estate School It's turning into a great mother's day so far- thanks for the well-wishes.

Georgie Hunter you would like her. I remember you did a post about your father's hobby. Is there really a way to express all the many ways we think about our parents? I've summoned the "what would they do?" question many times as a parent myself.

May 10, 2015 02:28 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Michael Jacobs funny you should mention that. My mom asked me to write a book about her last week. Maybe I should get started.

James Dray my condolences on your mother. I know she left a lasting legacy in your very large family.

 

May 10, 2015 02:30 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Silvia Dukes PA, REALTOR, CRS, CIPS, SRES here's part of the rest of her story. My mom's brother has lived in Japan nearly my whole life. Several of his kids came to the states to perfect their English. So, she came to visit her friend (my cousin Silvia- yep, shared names!) and that was the last known address for her.

 Karen- I've enjoyed looking at your posts. I was going to give a shout out to all the Illinois-born moms but thought that would be too limiting. (and yes... I guess I do sometimes play favorites.)

May 10, 2015 02:34 AM
Silvia Dukes PA, Broker Associate, CRS, CIPS, SRES
Tropic Shores Realty - Ich spreche Deutsch! - Spring Hill, FL
Florida Waterfront and Country Club Living

Thank you Chuck, there's always a good reason for unusual events!

May 10, 2015 03:47 AM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

What a great story about your mom! Thank you for sharing it with us here.

May 10, 2015 07:53 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thank you for sharing the story about your mom. 

May 10, 2015 10:59 PM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional I have been collecting these family stories here (probably not the best place) but will- someday put them in a place where they may make more sense to those who might stumble upon them.

Gita Bantwal you're quite welcom- thanks for popping by.

May 11, 2015 01:46 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I think I'd love your mom too.  I've never met a stranger.  

May 11, 2015 08:25 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Tammy Lankford You are two peas in a pod then.

May 11, 2015 02:47 PM
Thom Abbott
MyMidtownMojo.com |770.713.1505 | Intown Atlanta GA Condo Living - Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta GA Condos For Sale

What a great story! Loved it!

 

May 13, 2015 10:29 PM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Thom- I appreciate that. There are so many stories I could tell about her. It's tough though, I would probably need to improve as a writer to create the necessary context to fully capture who she is.

May 13, 2015 11:01 PM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

Your mom is a character. Raising 7 kids was not easy, but I'm sure you had a lot of fun memories:)

All the best to all of you!

May 14, 2015 09:53 AM