Mothers

This is going to come off as an ode to someone else's mother, which I know is a bit odd, considering how I haven't written much about my own.  In time I will.  My mum's improving--she wasn't really there for us much of the time growing up, but things are changing slowly but surely, for which I'm grateful for.  My parents have a way of balancing each other out in their extremes--when one becomes unstable, the other one tends to compensate for it; in this case, my dad's been growing increasingly nutty these past couple of years so my mom's been taking care of things (kind of).  Sometimes I feel like he's losing a grip on reality.  Pervasive senility in your mid fifties is an early indicator dementia.         

Anyways.

M's mother is amazing--I'm not just saying that because she brought me porridge (though, she makes the best porridge ever, hands down) and continues to load me with groceries to this day, through thick and thin.  I honestly think she is one of the hardest working, most loving and self-sacrificing mothers I have ever met.  I have so much respect for that woman.  And I have yet to meet someone with more knowledge on Western and Eastern nutrition than she does  ::grins::.  Sometimes I miss sitting down in their cozy kitchen, listening to her long, well meaning lectures on preserving health while helping prepare dinner for the night.  After all, how often do you develop a relationship close enough that you can  feel that comfortable around someone else's family?  I wish I could tell her all this, but I don't really know how--I mean, how do you transition a conversation into telling someone's mother how amazing she is (and you're not just referring to her cooking)?  It'd also be kind of random, now that I think about it.  

On another note, when she phones me from time to time, I can't help but to pick up on the loneliness in her voice when we talk, which kind of breaks my heart a little because I imagine how empty her house must make her feel with both children gone.  She tells me she misses me, but in reality, it's really them that she misses.  Still, it makes me want to go visit her and try to fill the void as best I can even though I understand that it's not in my position to--it would also be a bit unorthodox and probably inappropriate, but then again, that would depend on who you ask.  So all I can do is ask her questions and listen to what she has to say.  And who knows?  Maybe that's enough.