a special memory of Mom

I don’t have very many memories of Mom, and most of them are just little ones. Her asking me what kind of cereal I wanted and me changing my mind so many times that when I got the bowl, it had different kinds of cereal in it - and I was mad! Seeing her go potty while I was taking a bath (I’m sure she’d love that one). Her talking on our white rotary phone. Getting me a drink of water.

Probably my most meaningful memory of mom was on my first day of Kindergarten. She walked me into the classroom and I sat down at the table. Everyone was coloring a picture of a schoolhouse with a bell on top, and I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone. Mom asked me if I wanted her to stay and, since no one else had their mom there, I said no. When she left I cried. I was scared and lonely and wished I’d told her to stay with me!

Later that day I opened up my pencil box and taped inside was a mini Crunch bar and a note that said “I love you, Aariel!” Thinking about it now, I don’t know if I knew how to read that note. But I knew my name, and her handwriting, and I knew that my mom had put that in my pencil box for me. It made me feel special and I knew things would be okay.


-Aariel