God's Greatest Gift

This was initially suppose to be a letter to my friend who recently lost her mother, and the more I thought about it, I thought it could touch you all reading including my own mother. I have been thinking about my friend a lot lately and what all she's going through and I wanted to find the right words to maybe help her in this time, and I was reminded of what a friend said to me when I lost my Granny; he said she lives on through you. I've been thinking about that statement more now than I did when he said that to me and he's right! So I wanted to share a story (somewhat) about God's Greatest Gift in my life and how she lives in me!

She was the first beautiful woman I'd ever seen. She had the prettiest smile, brown glowing skin, thick black long curly hair and a confidence that I didn't get until I turned 30. As a child I would watch her as she put on her Fashion Fair makeup, even til this day if I smell FF lipstick I think back to riding in the backseat of her red sports car with her and her girlfriends as we would roll through Herman Park on a Sunday. I would watch her do her hair and she would rock the same hairstyle and she was very particular with the way she wore it, and I would look at her and wonder why she had to have it THAT way. She wore Gloria Vanderbilt (however you spell that) jeans and I guess she thought she was looking good whenever she wore them because she had a lot...okay she did look good in them! As a child I watched how much she loved and respected her mother and how close their relationship was. No she was not perfect as she let me eat out maybe 5times a week and whatever I wanted...McDonalds, Popeyes, and then we discovered Pappadeaux's and it was on. I remember one time we went there for dinner twice in a week. Once a year me and her would play hookie and sit at home and watch movies and laugh. We would dance together all the time and sometimes wrestle, of course she showed me no mercy.

As I got into my preteen and teenager years I started to not want to be like her. She came up to my school one time in rollers and a scarf, and I would have rathered died! If she thought somebody was mistreating me she would make a big deal out of it and BLOW UP, and I would want to crawl into a hole. I would look at her like she had lost it every time a Frankie Beverly song came on and she would throw up one arm and shout "heeeeey, that's my song"! I'm thinking OKAY but don't tell nobody, LOL. Her brother was in the army and was based out of state, when he would leave from a visit she would lock herself in the bathroom and cry. I was thinking what a cry baby, he'll be back. Growing up I just didn't understand her ways and they use to bother me. I would think she's only 20 years older than me shouldn't we think more alike?

Fast forward to today and I'm 32 and she's 52 and now those years don't seem so far apart. Back to that statement that she lives through you is so true. Daughter's, our mother's not only live through us we are our mother's. Remember that saying every woman dreaded...well I believe it's true. Looking at my mother and aunts I see my granny. Looking at my other aunts I see my other grandmother it's amazing. OMG I am Sharon Samuel; I have to wear my hair in a particular way if it's not in that way I will wash it and start over! There are certain jeans I wear That I swear I'm the baddest thing walking when I put them on :). I have the worst eating habits (thanks momma, granny said that was your fault) I'm quick to go to a fast food spot for dinner instead of veggies, but she's making me do better (ain't that something LOL). I will wear my wrap cap ANYWHERE and DARE anybody to say something, I just don't care, that is so funny to me now. She took me to a Frankie Beverly concert when I was in college and to this day I think Maze is the greatest band of all times and yes when I hear one of their songs or Patti Labelle, I throw one arm in the air and say "Heeeyyy"!! I have a close relationship with her like she did with her mother. I talk to my mother, kid you not, like 4 or 5 times a day, and when I don't call her back, she'll say "Why didn't you call me back girl'? My brother came to visit me here in LA and I when I dropped him off at the airport I cried all the way home...can you believe that? Who's the cry baby now? I talk to my brother on the phone like EVERYDAY and I cried like a baby when he left. It's crazy I look in the mirror and I see my mother, I am my mother. I say little things at times and I laugh to myself afterwards because it's something she would say.

I wanted to tell my friend your mother may be gone but she left her wisdom, her laughter, heart, face, memories, beliefs, stories with you and she will always be with you because you are her! Same to my mother, I know it was hard when you lost your mother but you act just like her.

Mother's are some of God's Greatest Gift. My mother is so awesome I can't believe it at times. When I get into a bind she says "What are we gonna do"? or "We may be in trouble"? I'm thinking wow, you're going down with me? LOL. My troubles are your troubles, that is the most selfless thing anybody could do for another.I am aware that not everybody has this story maybe your Gift was a father, aunt, granny, sister, or a friend but we all have somebody that has just been amazing in our life and we should take the time to thank God for them and to thank that person.

Ladies are you your mother?