This terrific lady contributed greatly to the other half of why I am who I am today! My sweet mom was only here for 50 short years, but she managed to cram a lot of life and teachings into those years. She was my very best friend, we laughed until we cried on many occasions, how I wish I could remember what it was that set us off, then I realize it's the laughing that counts, not the why. She gave me her clumsiness, she and I would trip on almost anything and don't even get me started on the toe stubbing thing!!
She taught me to "kill others with kindness", especially those cranky sales clerks! She would do anything for anyone without question, she loved to serve others. She was good with numbers, words and cards and she passed those traits on to me and our kids! She loved to get dressed up and go to dinner at the Elks Club with dad and their friends, then she would dance the night away!! Both mom and dad were very good dancers!
She LOVED to move the furniture around in our living room, she would even move our piano almost every week......she was pretty happy to send the piano to Utah when I got married!
She loved to go camping, but what was even more fun was to find all of those darling minature things that go so well in camp trailers.......you know the little peanut butter jar, jam jars, hershey syrup cans.....this is where I must have gotten my LOVE for tiny things huh? She loved to salmon fish and caught a whopping 52 pounder (wish I could find that photo...)
Can you stand it....here I wished for the photo and wall-ah, our terrific family history extra-ordinaire expert, Suni May, sent it my way!! The whole fishing trip is worthy of its very own post someday!!She waited so long for grand kids and then was so HAPPY when they finally arrived, she lived for those darling grand babies!! Curt and Emily came along first, they would have fun sleeping in the "big" bed reading with Nannaw and Gramps! When Marisa was born mom and dad drove from Washington to Utah to help out, we didn't know at the time but mom was suffering the first effects of the cancer that would ultimately take her from us. She NEVER complained and I mean NEVER! She lived with terrible headaches and then the pain of cancer, she was so strong and would smile and tell us she felt just fine.
Her desire was to be in her home near the end. I watched my dad work furiously to find a hospital bed on the weekend so he could put it in the living room to make her more comfortable. The bed was delivered and we brought her home from the hospital. She knew immediately where she was and felt good with her surroundings. She had a peaceful night and woke early. Then with grace and style, she smiled, took a few breaths and was gone.....just like that-- I lost my mom and best friend........
A few years ago Randy gave me the best compliment I could ever receive, he said "Sue, you are your mom!!" It was probably after a really great clumsy move no doubt!!
Somewhere along the way she gave me the gift of being able to have our kids be MY best friends..........I am such a lucky lady to have 3 beautiful daughters and one very handsome son who I can honestly say are my very best friends!! I know they would do anything for me and I for them (and they know that!)
Thanks mom for being such a huge example of what is good and right and more importantly for passing on so many great qualities. It's so exciting to know that you live on in all of us!!!
xoxo
7 comments:
thanks for the good cry...i needed to remember her today. thank you for sharing your memories with us and for being as great a mom as nannaw was. i'm honored to share her middle name and hope i can be as good a mother as you two are!!
oh, and i have the newspaper article of the 52 lb. salmon picture...i'll email you a copy!
Wow Suni, thanks for granting my wish today! I love the "oh, and I have the....."it made me laugh, like you always happen to have 40 year old newpaper clippings just laying around!!! (or is it lying, I think people ly, objects lay, grammar guru where are you!!?) Love you!
woah.. i never cry at sentimental stuff.. and i your post just brought tears to my eyes! (i did just chop onions but i know it was not that..) that explains so much of why i am constantly counting my steps....counting how many pops my joints pop in the morning...counting how many chops it takes to chop the whole onion (im not kidding)...wow am i crazy?? and i LOVE LOVE little things! i am so sad i never got to know her but i think that dad must be right and she lives on through you, i can only imagine the two of you together...it could either be hilarious or a disaster!! i think it is a fabulous thing to be like your mother, and i am very proud to be just like you :) i love you!
p.s. thank you for living past fifty...i would most definitely have a meltdown without you.
I'm sure if we were to get together again it would for sure be a "hilarious disaster"!!
Thanks Neef!
Ya...you MUST be her twin because all of those things you talked about are totally YOU! And some of them are already US! Good thing we have a source for all of our hilarious disasters. And I'm sure she had a great part in the mystery of the red wallet. Case solved! Love you!
i love this post and i loved reading all the benson girls comments. doug does not count anything...at least not out loud and he is SUPER cordinated...he must be all gramps. nannaw was a great lady because sue, risa, suni and neef are awesome. thanks nannaw for all the goodness.
Aunt Sue, I came across this on a Hutteball Google. It was amazing and got me all verklempt! I do remember the fun things we used to do with both of them, and I have their engagment picture on a table in my living room. What a great couple they were and both wonderful people as individuals. I would give anything to know them now as an adult, and to have their advice and wisdom, especially as I have gotten older.
Love you all, Hi to everyone and hope to see you July of 09
Love
Curt Hutteball and son Grant
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