We plotted with some of Mom's dearest friends to have a surprise luncheon for her, to honor her as my mom and to read from an anthology called My Mom Is My Hero. There's a story in there that I wrote about her called "The Care Package Queen."
One of the aspects of my mom's life just now is that it's really easy to go behind her back and plan things. She had no clue what we were planning, even as she pulled up to the house after church and I greeted her, wearing a skirt instead of my usual saggy sweatpants. I generally have such a hard time pulling these things off but it was scary how easily the lies slipped out.
The ladies had brought salads for lunch, and after eating Crystal and I read from the book. Crystal's story was by a woman from Bend who honored her Aunt Ruth. It was fitting for Aunty Crystal to read it...
I managed to get through Mom's story with just a few tears but I didn't dare look up while reading or it would have been smudgy mascara all around.
Of course, Mom cried. It's nice to bring your mother to tears in a good way!
No party is complete without favors for the guests to take home so the ladies each chose a knitted coffee cozy to put around their favorite coffee-stand drinks. It was supposed to be a choose-or-steal deal, but they're all so nice no one did any stealing. I hope the cozy's keep their hands as warm as their presence made my heart.
To be able to honor my mother in such a tangible way makes me so grateful for the gift of words. I usually choke up or get really sweaty trying to say them out loud, but somehow they come out ok when they get written down.
Plus it really was fun being sneaky!
