The peanut butter in the sandwich

My mother is a wonder. Not only is she a reliable, dependable and devoted mother, ready to spring to action the instant my sister or I ask for help, she is also a dedicated daughter. She is the proverbial peanut butter in the sandwich, holding the team together with her strength and love. 

My mother’s mother passed away at the age of 102, a few years back. The last few years of Grandma Vicky’s life, Mom spent nearly day at her side, taking care of her basic needs, ensuring she had everything she would require to be comfortable and happy in her cozy room, even playing (and purposely losing) cards for hours. Mom generously gave of her time, energy and resources until Grandma decided to bid the world adieu.

Then it was my other Grandma’s turn to need some support. A few scares with high blood pressure and a tumble or two made Mom realize that Grandma needed someone to check in on her each day. My mother spends a large amount of her time there, now, making sure pills are taken and Grandma is feeling ok. We just celebrated her 100^th birthday in February.

I have no doubt my mother will live to be 100. She is coming to the end of her 70’s looking and acting decades younger. What keeps her young? It could be the two litres of water she tries to drink every day, her daily walks, her weekly exercise class, or maybe it’s her evening glass of white wine for medicinal purposes. But honestly, I think it’s her optimistic spirit, her generous heart, her love of laughter and her tendency to dance around the room when she hears a favourite tune that keeps her healthy and happy. I hope I have inherited some of her joie de vivre too. She never complains about the number of miles or hours she puts in to looking after the rest of us. Because her heart is involved. She wouldn’t have it any other way. And I know exactly what that feels like.

I know what it’s like to get a call in the pre-dawn hours about a sick grandchild who needs daycare, or someone else who needs to borrow a vehicle or a few bucks until payday. I am a busy mom and grandma, and consider it a true privilege that my children know they can turn to me for help.

And someday, when it’s my turn, I will be ready to look after my mom too, the way she looked after me, my children, and even my grandchildren.  I will take my place in the middle of the sandwich.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers out there.

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The play's the thing

The first play I remember being in was “School Days”, in Grade 6. I played the schoolteacher. I had to sing a song about students and their excuses for not doing their homework. I still remember the song. Our play director was also the choir director. He taught me how to project my voice to the back of the room. I was on the front page of the Advance on opening night!

I was bitten by the acting bug, to be sure. Moving into junior high and then on into high school, I was in the play every year. Sometimes I had a supporting role, but more often than not, I had a lead part. (I could project my voice, after all.) Only two of the plays stand out in my memory: “The Children’s Hour” (an edgy, progressive piece about two female schoolteachers accused of a romantic relationship, set in 1934) and “The Farm Show” (performance art and skits – I played the grandma standing in her washer, showing off her photo albums and delivering a lengthy monologue on family).

I loved the camaraderie of the cast. For weeks and months leading up to the performance dates, we learned our lines, developed our blocking and practiced reacting to each other. It was exciting to watch it all come together. Opening night was almost a let down, because it meant our fun was almost over.

Flash forward close to 40 years. I went to the NAC to see the musical “Come From Away” with my husband. At the end of it I was on my feet, laughing and cheering, with tears streaming down my face. I realized how much I missed being part of something like that. So, I signed up for the North Grenville Community Theatre’s spring production. Lucky for me, they had someone drop out and the part of Lady Catherine was available. It is a minor role, so I don’t have to test my powers of midlife memory too much.

First written in 1902, “The Admirable Crichton” is a story about the family of a manor house and their servants. The group goes on what is meant to be a short trip but they are caught in a storm and their yacht sinks. They end up on a desert island, where it soon becomes apparent that the serving class is far more equipped for survival than the Lord of the Manor and his daughters. It’s kind of a twist between Downton Abbey and Gilligan’s Island. Tickets are available online and will soon be at the B&H. We are on stage at The Urbandale Arts Centre May 24-28! Come on out and enjoy some community theatre.

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