After much deliberation--for there were some really wonderful stories entered into our Mother's Day Unusual Story Contest, and we thank each and every one of you--we have chosen a winner. Two things set this story apart from the rest; 1. It actually involves a
gift card, and 2. It is a story that we feel many single mothers can relate to.
So congratulations Carrie Schafer of Chicago, Illinois! Carrie will be receiving the $25 gift card from the retailer of her choice within the next few days. We hope you treat yourself to something nearly as nice as your gift card in the story allowed.
Now, without further ado, here is Carrie's story, "Mother's Day from Mom."
Mother's Day from Mom
Just when I was thinking that things couldn't get any worse, Murphy's Law--which states something along the lines of
anything that can go wrong will go wrong--kicked in. Both of my kids were sick with colds and I was feeling sort of puny myself. Jason, my ex, had gotten laid off, so he was behind on his child support, and my mother was coming for a visit over Mother's Day weekend.
You are probably thinking that having my mother come visit would be a treat, but you don't know my mother. She is a drama queen. She's been married five times and I think is working on number six. She's an old hippie. So needless to say, she's no June Cleaver. In her defense, however, she is great with the boys and they adore her. My sons are five and three and I think my Mom's maturity level is about the same. The three of them play house under the dining room table, they run through the halls, pretending to be cowboys and Indians, she feeds them anything they want--which I hate--and buys them everything they ask for. That's another reason I am not looking forward to her visit. It will take me three weeks to undo the damage she's done after she leaves. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother dearly, I am just trying to raise my sons to be respectful, healthy, responsible adults.
When Mom arrived on Saturday morning, it was the usual pandamonium; the boys climbing all over her, but this time with snotty noses. Mom didn't care. She loves her grandsons with all her heart, snotty noses or not.
She saw instantly that I was in a mood and asked me what was wrong. Of course, even though I hardly ever cry, I began to blubber like a baby. I told her about Jason's job ending, and about the hard time I was having finding writing jobs online lately, (I am a work-at-home mom,) and how exhausted I was. "You look terrible!" She said, which made me feel even worse. Mom peeled the boys off of her and took me in her arms. "It's going to be ok. I have a
marvelous idea!"
She turned to the boys and said, "Anyone up for ice cream and a movie?" Of course, Terry and Jason Jr. began to jump up and down, hollering, "ice cream, ice cream..movie, movie, movie!!"
"We'll be back this evening, sweetie." She said to me. "Take a bubble bath, or a nap, or read a book, something to make you relax. Everything is going to be ok!" And she piled the boys up in her car and off they went to the ice cream parlor.
I plopped down on the couch, looking around at the mess that was my living room. Toys were strewn everywhere. There was a film of what looked like grape jelly on the coffee table. One of the boy's underwear lay on the floor by the bathroom with some questionable brown marks on them.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief. I hadn't had a break from the boys in several weeks, since Jason's job had taken him across the country and he hadn't been able to keep them on his weekends lately.
What was I going to do with myself? It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I wasn't going to waste it sitting inside. So I jumped up, hopped in the shower, threw on some shorts and a tank top, grabbed my purse, making sure to avoid the dishes piled in the sink, and headed out the door. I was feeling my better. My mood had improved tremendously already!
I decided I needed to shop for something for my mom for Mother's Day, but first I would stop at our neighborhood Starbucks and treat myself to a cappuccino. I was sitting there, sipping my drink, reading the lifestyle section of the Chicago paper, totally absorbed and content, when a shadow fell across the table.
I couldn't believe it when I looked up. It was Hank Taylor, a guy I went to high school with who'd always been a hunk--and still was--and I didn't even know he knew I existed. He called me by name and asked if he could sit down. "Sure," I said, closing my newspaper, the butterflies in my stomach doing a precision nosedive. I felt exactly like I did when I saw Hank in the halls in 11th grade, frozen, shy, and in awe. Then I told myself how stupid I was being. The guy was just being friendly. Besides, I had vowed to myself that I would not date for at least a year after my divorce was final. I had three months to go.
To my total shock, Hank told me that he'd always wanted to go out with me in high school, but he thought I wasn't interested. He said he'd heard that Jason and I had gotten a divorce, and that he was sorry to hear it, but not really. He said this was his chance, and asked me out for the following weekend. We talked a little more, catching up, and he got my phone number. I told him I had to go. I wanted to be the one to make the first exit, but as I walked away and got into my car, I felt my heart sing. I had a date! A real bona fide, grown up date! And with Hank Taylor, the hunk of Wesley High School, no less!
I called my best friend Sara and told her what happened as I drove home. We were squealing over our cell phones like a couple of lunatics. When I got home, I ran myself a bubble bath, as my mother had suggested. But as I stepped into the warm, luxurious water, it hit me that I hadn't gotten my mother anything for Mother's Day tomorrow. Then I remembered the gift card that Jason had given me from the boy's for my Mother's Day gift a few days ago. It was a gift card for $50 to Macy's. I would just give that to my mother. After all, it didn't have my name on it, so anyone could use it. And didn't she deserve it, for if it hadn't been for her today I would never have run into the hunky Hank Taylor!
