Happy Mother's Day (a bit late)

Mother's Day is hard for me. I stay away from stores, I turn off the radio and the TV so as not to be bombarded by reminders for Mother's Day gift ideas. I used to welcome the marketing barage, but now, not so much. So this year it worked out perfectly, though I hadn't planned it this way, that on Mother's Day I arrived in Dakar, Senegal--easily one of my favorite places in the world--a place that just so happens (like most places) not to celebrate Mother's Day. [It does, however, celebrate International Women's Day, which (like most places) honors women of all ages, mothers or not.] It was quite an ordinary Sunday like all the rest. And for that I was very glad. It was extra-ordinary in many other ways, in that I was in Dakar on an adventure, visiting friends and a city I hadn't seen in eleven years, but that's another story altogether.

One Mother's Day after my first stint in Dakar (mid-90s), I was pretty broke (not unlike now) so I made my mom a card. There are two things you have to know to appreciate this card. One, when I lived with her and often when I was just hanging out at her place, I always always always walked into the bathroom just as she was putting on her make-up, in particular, her mascara. Not eyeshadow, not lipstick--mascara. Everytime. It was weird. And two, she loved the Word Jumble. She did the Word Jumble in the Living section of the Oregonian every single day since 1982. Sometimes she'd wait until I came over and we'd race to see who could do it the fastest. Yes, we were word geeks, and that's okay.

Below you'll find the card I made her, with her very own handwriting in it. And a photo of her in the bathroom, likely with fresh mascara. I love you, Ma.