There are some things about my mom that I know for sure. I know that she needs to be in her garden and what feels like hard, hard work to some brings her great joy.I know that when we’re walking somewhere in a crowd she moves quickly in order to get to where we’re going, no lolly-gagging.I know that she loves the water and once, when we were in Ireland, she dove into the ocean on a cold, blustery day, one of my favorite memories.
I also know that grandmotherhood fits my mom perfectly, just as motherhood does. One of the great joys of being a grandma for my mom happens to be squeezing Maggie’s chubby legs and smooching on her.
Hawaii was a perfect opportunity for my mom to combine her love of water and getting Maggie’s skin exposed to some fresh air. Often Barry and I would leave Maggie on the beach with my mom so we could get some snorkeling in together.
After swimming out to a distant point, we’d pop our heads up and float around in the ocean looking to the shore to see if we could tell what state Maggie was in. More often than not, we’d be able to spot my mom and Maggie sitting on the ocean’s edge splashing away together. Two little peas in a pod, both happy as clams.
I don’t think a day passed on our trip that Maggie wasn’t in the water in some capacity and most times it was my mom that would first dip Maggie’s toes in, eventually peeling off her clothes to get all the way in.
Just as there are things that I know for sure about my mother, there too are things that I know for sure about my daughter.I know that if I grunt at her, she’ll grunt back.I know that she needs sunscreen.I know that she needs time each day to play on her own, but she likes to be able to see me while she’s doing this.I know that she loves the water, whether it be the bath, shower, pool or ocean.
Regardless of what I think I know about my mom and Maggie, it is apparent that the two of them share a great deal of love for each other and being able to splish-splash around!
