Saturday, August 27, 2005

A Great Many Things

On windy, rainy days...which happen more here in Florida than the tourism boards would like you to believe...my mom and I use to get an array of snacks and sit down and watch movies. If it was especially cold and gloomy it'd be designated as the perfect day to watch Little Women.

During those long, cozy afternoons my mom and I use to talked about all the characters as if we knew them...and mostly praise Jo and complain about how spoiled Amy was. My mom was the definitive Jo...loud, outspoken, confident, but still searching for her real direction in life. There's a single line in the movie that sums up my mom's life perfectly.

When Jo leaves Concord for New York, meets Professor Bhaer, and attends a discussion about current affairs she is told that she should have been a lawyer. Her response to that statement was, "I should have been a great many things, Mr. Mayer".

I can still hear my mom reciting it...and the truth was she was a great many things in her lifetime...and each of those things: mother, friend, carer, protector, advocate, student, wife, daughter, niece, motelier, landscaper, artist...meant so much to so many people. She had such a presence that now, the world seems quieter. But I can still hear the music in my head...a vague mixture of the great many things she was.

I've been thinking about watching Little Women lately, but the weather isn't right...and when it is...it will be a solomn day.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

AWWWW, juls...
i love reading about you and your mom. as you know, im also a mommy to two girls aged 14 and 11, and to ilan, aged 6 months. my daughters and i also share a special world, as do you and your mom.
one day , you will have an amazing relationship with the children you and Pete will have.. and the love warmth fun comradeship, enjoyment , closessness and everything else special that you will share with them, will be your dear mother's eternal legacy to you and them
hug
lizzy

Anonymous said...

Hi Julie,

I'm not a blogger but have visited your site many times. Just wanted to say sorry for your loss. You write about your relationship with your mom very eloquently... I'm sure she would be proud.

Jennifer