You Better Watch Out

One of the main points that our Celebrant (Alan Mackewon) talked about during Mamie’s service was her resourcefulness. She always found ways to feed, clothe, and house us despite the many challenges she faced at different points. And this providing went far past the basics and spread to gift giving.

When I was young, Mamie made sure I got WHATEVER I wanted for Christmas and birthdays. When I think of those mornings, I remember getting everything I asked for and Mom sitting there asking if I was happy with what she’d gotten me. And me running into her arms and hugging. Now. Maybe that’s not exactly what happened, but it’s how I remember it, so that’s all that matters right?

In my high school years, and after I went to University, this tendency did not stop. Mom still got me whatever I wanted, often times before I even knew I wanted/needed it. Mostly functional gifts (nice clothing) that I could not always afford as a student replaced the different video games or action figures I received in childhood.

The one thing I loved about my mom over the past decade or so was her watch collection. She never splurged on really great watches, but the colours and variety were awesome. And sometimes she shared these with me. When my life-partner-wife-bassist-artist-whatever-Sundi met Mamie for the first time(?), Mamie gifted us matching watches from Time magazine (again emphasizing her resourcefulness and thoughtfulness). We wore those watches for years and the only thing they said on the face was “Time” – I think we even had a good laugh over that.

When my brother was going through mom’s belongings he found many gifts intended for many of the significant people in her life, but she hadn’t entirely decided who was getting what, and she had not finished shopping yet. But many gifts were there. Even more important, to me, than the gift, is to see how she always worked so hard to keep so many people happy. There were a lot of gifts, well wrapped, with cards, some with names, some with ‘son’ or ‘daughter in law’ or ‘grandchild’, but they were there.

Someday I will post a pic of the coolest Christmas socks she left me(?) I knew I needed those, cause they are messed up!

For now, though, her she is with a watch she wore for years, and we now have with us as a token.

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