Education was important to my mother.
Keeping her children happy was even more important.
So, when her oldest daughter lost her sense of humor and started freaking out about final exams the week before graduation, Momma Benedetti went to her bag of tricks to ease the tension.
She dressed up in my graduation cap and gown and declared she was a “college gad-gee-ate”.
When that didn’t so much as get a smile from me, she tried walking into my bedroom with a rose between her teeth and asked me to tango.
Unfortunately, I was so hung up on doing well on my finals, that neither action made me any less anxious.
Yes, I was her more sensitive child. The one the doctors always referred to as “emotional” and recommended enemas on a regular basis.
You know the kind.
Every family has one.
And lucky me, I was the one.
It wasn’t until the next morning, while I was sitting on the throne, looking down at the painted toenails of our clawfoot bathtub, that I burst out laughing.
Mom had painted all of the nails on the claws with bright red nail polish.
Her oldest daughter needed to laugh, and Mom wasn’t giving up until I did.
She succeeded.
I sat there on the toilet laughing hysterically and shaking my head in awe.
Mom got me on that one.
I was now prepared to kick some serious butt on the last of my final exams and to graduate from community college.
Thanks, Mom.
It’s because of you that I went on and became a “college gad-gee-ate”.
I miss her every day, but it’s memories like these that keep her close to my heart and very much alive.
Love you, Mom.
Love you to the moon and back.
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