About Me

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I write novels, eat dark chocolate, raise three children, love my husband, scrub toilets, ignore the laundry, and love a good story, but hardly ever in that order.

OPERATION BONNET

STRETCH MARKS

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ACT TWO

BOTTOM LINE

BALANCING ACT

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Remember the Alamo

I have a very noticeable and alarming problem with remembering my life. I’m very serious about this. I cannot remember really important things, like where Marc and I went on our first date or the way my children sounded before they could say their “r’s.” I can’t remember the names of friends with whom I shared a gazillion hours on choir trips in college, even when I see photos in my albums and we’re all flashing smiles that say to the camera, “We will always know each other and would definitely donate internal organs to save each other’s lives!” Don’t remember the organ donors.

I do, however, remember completely unimportant things. I can sing, on demand, the only hit Julian Lennon ever had. I can tell you all the phases of the moon, information that has lingered with me since Mr. Ives’s fifth grade science class. While we’re there, I remember that Mr. Ives was a straight-ticket Republican who named his eldest daughter, Reagan, when NO ONE was naming little girls anything Reagan, unless you meant Nancy.



My friend Kristen is invaluable to me for several reasons but one of them is that she remembers my life. She tells me such great stories about my kids! They are so witty and endearing, my children, but I just can’t remember anything they have said or done. So Kristen reminds me of these things by saying things like, “Remember when Mitch won that award from the Pulitzer committee and gave such a great acceptance speech?” I don’t, of course, remember that, but I chuckle/sigh like I do, ask a few discreet questions and she tells me the whole story!

Everyone needs a friend like Kristen.

I’d love to introduce you to her but I can’t remember your name.



N.B. This is not Mitchell accepting his Pulitzer but isn't it amazing what one can find on the Internet?

7 comments:

  1. Ben can't remember things either well most things. He can remember the most random things...kind of like you. Very alarming. :)

    I am glad you have Kristen.

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  2. I'm so sorry you inherited this gene from me. I have no recollection of even raising you. ~Mom

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  3. This Kristen gal sounds amazing! Don't reckon she's single?

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  4. So I'm not the only mom who doesn't get birthday cards to her kids on the right date? Whew!

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  5. p.s.: Where can I find a Kristen?

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  6. Mom, no need for apologies. I still love you, even though you sometimes have to call me the names of all your siblings, present and former pets before you get to mine. "Snoopy! Tulip! Snickers! Kim!"

    As for finding a Kristen, Cecily, I'm afraid she's one of a kind. And Matthew, she is MARRIED, you dirty old man. (Tell her hi from me.)

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  7. Stephen's (9) new favorite joke:
    Stephen: Hey mom, will you remember me in a year?
    Me: Yes
    Stephen: Will you remember me in a month?
    Me: Yes
    Stephen: How about a day?
    Me: Hmmm, what? Oh, the joke. Yes.
    Stephen: A minute?
    Me: Yes. And hand me the peanut butter.
    Stephen: Knock Knock.
    Me: Seriously? Who's there?
    Stephen: Mom! I can't believe you forgot me!

    Gotta love 9 year olds.

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