My mom, Karen, recently celebrated the annual anniversary of her 29th birthday. Even as she approaches an age where many people contemplate retirement, Mom is going as strong as ever.
I often tell my students that they will become like their parents in many ways. I’ve written previously how like my dad I am. I also find many attributes of my mother in the things I do. I’ve thought about that a lot lately as I’ve shifted roles from teacher to chauffeur for the summer.
My kids have pretty busy schedules between sports camps, baseball and softball games, swimming lessons, and numerous appointments I have scheduled for them. As I’ve been driving across the countryside, I’ve been remembering all the trips into New Ulm and the surrounding communities Mom used to have to make for her four children. When I got my driver’s license, I suddenly became someone who could make those trips instead. It really opened my eyes to what Mom had to deal with in planning a schedule.
I’ve become like that now. I have things planned out as best I can. It’s tough sometimes, and I only have half the kids Mom did!
My mom is still doing this though. She’s as busy as ever, but after all of us left home, she could finally open up to some activities she was interested in instead of just chasing us around. I think her favorite activity is being a member of the Narren, proclaimed as the “group of relatives everyone has, but nobody wants to claim.”
What are the Narren? They’re a frightening group of costumed and masked characters based on New Ulm’s strong German heritage. (Google them. I’m not joking.) They entertain at many events in New Ulm and also around the Midwest.
Mom loves doing this. I think the only thing that ranks higher on her social calendar is time spent with her family, especially grandkids. I never saw this natural outgoing personality growing up and certainly not the “go out in public and do crazy things” part! Still, I’m sure that is a big part of my genetics, and mixed with Dad’s similar gregariousness, has led to a large part of me.
Dad just shakes his head when Mom does her Narren act. But I think she’s wanted to do things like this for a long time. She was just too dedicated to making sure her family got everything we wanted all those years. Now she’s making the most of her free time.
Mom hasn’t talked much about retiring either. She spent many years at home with us, only returning to work when I became a teenager. There had to be a lot of lonely days at home with only young kids to interact with, and I know from experience in the summer that sometimes I just need to go out somewhere to see and talk to adults. Mom will continue to work since she’s making up for lost time in the adult world!
I learned a lot of other things from Mom. She taught me the importance of saving money, which has paid off in many ways over the years. I still clip coupons, just like she did, and we put money away in a rainy day fund every month.
She taught me how to cook, and to this day, I do most of the cooking. (Not because Michelle isn’t capable, but I’m the first one home and enjoy the task.) Mom kept after all of us kids to learn a strong work ethic and present a persona in public that we could be proud of.
There are two things I look back on with which I still disagree with my mom. One is that I buy cereal that I’ll enjoy and not just Cheerios, Wheaties, Corn Flakes, and Rice Krispies. The other is that I don’t always have to make my bed or keep my room clean when company comes over; that’s why we have a door.
Keep doing what you enjoy, Mom! All your kids are proud of you and love you, and we look forward to celebrating many more of those anniversaries!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is gregarious, which means social and companionable, as in, “The gregarious salesman was able to sell his product well since people genuinely liked him.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!