A Public Apology, and, thanks for your MMSM stories!

Today I spent a few hours repairing my relationship with a most important part of my life. I just wanted to take this public opportunity to apologize for the many indignities you have suffered at my hands and to tell you how abjectly grieved I am for the shameful neglect I have subjected you to. You keep giving and giving to me; you’ve honored me with the best year of your life, and I know that I have given nothing back.

I don’t even call you by name, and I’ve mocked part of your appearance that I once thought was one of your best features.

So today, in mortified humiliation, I offered my meager effort at recompense and washed my car. “Un-mom-ing-my-ride” took three hours, two laundry baskets full of stuff, 1 trash bag full of you-don’t-want-to-know, 30 gallons of soapy water, vacuuming and ArmorAll-ing. I hope you’ll give me one more chance to prove I’m worthy of your constant service.

It was also a good day to wash the minivan because it kept me from checking my computer constantly to see which of my blogging friends were cool enough to participate in MMSM. The stories were great to read, and I’m happy to call you all friends. Some day when I’m famous you can tell your children that you were in on the inaugural event. I specifically wanted to thank Gladis and Marie, who posted on their myspace blogs; I’m not myspace-enabled, so I couldn’t comment directly: if you’re not Gladis or Marie you can skip the next paragraph.

[Gladis -- i love the idea that though we might choose different paths in life than what our mothers hoped for, they still provide us with loving support. i think this is probably what it means to be a mother. i also like the idea of freedom and safety -- they seem like opposites almost, but, as you say, they are great gifts from a mother. Marie -- i like Margaret Atwood too, but i haven't read the other two; i'll check them out. i confess to having read a lot of trash YA along with the classics, just as i do when it comes to grown-up fiction. have you read the blue castle or a tangled web? they were lmm's attempts at writing more "adult" fiction and the first is especially good. love the image of Max singing Ariel!]

Makes-Me-Smile Monday will be back next week, so keep your thinker thinking. We’ll have a Father theme in June, but until then it’s anything that MMSM. If you missed it this week (where’s Cousin Sylwia and Cousin Suzie and my beloved lurkers? — yes I know who you are, or at least where your servers are), I hope you’ll join us next time.

And Mom, I hope you notice that only two of your offspring took the time to pay you internet tribute. I know you’ll take that into consideration the next time you’re thinking that you love us all equally.