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Happy Birthday to the Mama!


The ever loving, curious, generous, and unique Mama would've been 95 years old today. Shoot up the  fireworks! Bang on the walls! Pick some tomatoes! Dance up a storm! Sing, sing, sing!


I searched through my archives for a story to share about the Mama. This one is my favorite, which was published on June 18, 2010. Originally, it was entitled Talking about Sex with the Mama. The new title says it better.

Some Kind of Wonderful
 
Yesterday the mama asked me to explain something she was reading in an AARP flyer. It was a short article about what a woman can do about vaginal dryness so that intercourse isn't so painful.

Uh.

The mama is a voracious reader. She likes to learn. Both things I didn't know until the husband and I became her roommates several years ago. English is not her primary language, and I would say on a scale of 1 to 10, her English reading comprehension is about a 4, more or less. She doesn't let complicated or unfamiliar words get her down. If she's interested in a story, she plows through it. If she's really interested in what words mean precisely, she asks me.

So, she asked me. 

Hoo boy.

The mama hadn't even taught me about sex when I a kid. The only instruction I received that came closest to the topic was the afternoon of getting ready for my senior class prom.  She showed me a gigantic safety pin, then put it in my purse, saying something like "In case you need it." She walked away before I could ask "For what?" I figured that out years later. She didn't have to worry. My prom date came out of the closet years later.  If I'm recalling that eventful afternoon correctly, the mama gave me the safety pin after the daddy advised me, "Don't go f***ing around."

The parents. Do I love them!

But, back to the curious mama of today.

"Kiki," I said, somehow recalling the Ilocano slang word for vagina, pointing to hers, then mine.

"It's about what to do when it's dry. . . ." She looked at me with surprise.

"And you want to have sex." I quickly walked away, but not before noticing that she went back to the article. 

In the kitchen where I thought he hadn't heard, the husband asked, "What was that about?" 

I think maybe something kind of wonderful.

Comments

  1. Hoo-Boy!!! What a terrific share - Happy Birthday to the Mama . . .

    My Great Grandmother have me a fancy hat pin with a polished amethyst on top - with exactly the same instructions . . . "in case . . " giggle - who knew what THAT meant? I sang for my prom, i was in a popular rock & roll band - never needed the hat pin . . Suppose i could miss Great Grandmother a lot - except she is so alive in me . . . i hope that's how it feels in you, too - You and the Mama.

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    Replies
    1. I like your point of view, G. The Mama, the Daddy, Lola Julia, the sisters, the First Husband, good friends, godfathers and godmothers, all of them are alive in me.

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  2. Hahahaaaaa....ok if my mom asked me about this, I would just look for a book, open it and tell her to read it. I just couldn't talk to her about it especially if she started to and thought it was normal for me to know about her sex life with my dad...eewwwww. I know they did but I never wanted to hear about it. I always light a candle on my dad's birthday.

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    1. If we had the Ipad then, I could've shown her. No. That wouldn't work either. I didn't want to ask if she understood. Just glad she didn't bring it up again. lol

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  3. Wonderful tribute to your Mama ~ such a gift she was/is to you ~ xox

    Happy Weekend to you ~ ^_^

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  4. Hahaha ! what a conversation with the Mama ! Wonderful !

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  5. Curiosity is a wonderful gift. My Mom isn't around to ask me any embarrassing questions. That's a funny memory.

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    Replies
    1. The Mama had a bunch more. Had to love her for that. :-)

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  6. Wonderful story ... Happy Birth Day to the Mama. :)

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  7. That is soooo funny Su-sieee I bet you went red in the face.
    My total sex education via my Mama was 'you're growing up now
    so don't play around with the boys'.
    Whatever can she mean thought I as i was quite a tomboy and played
    football with the local boys and also hockey in the school team, as it was
    a co-ed college we had a few boys in the team.
    I was so miffedIo stomped of to my bedroom, thinking for some unfathomed reason I couldn't play hockey anymore which of all the sport I played, was my favourite.
    Fortunately i had an elder sister who gently explained what Mama was talking about...i already had had a complete sex education from a girl down the road who was 3 years older than me and had had lessons in school !!
    C`est la vie..
    love Di xx

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  8. hahahaha. I would've thought the same thing, too, Di. Thank goodness you had a sister. I don't recall who told me about sex. I probably wasn't paying attention. hahahaha

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  9. Hey Susie, this is a fun read. You didn't get much better s*x education than I did. Dad told me I knew everything from watching our farm animals. I almost didn't know what he was talking about. But in the first grade another first grader, a girl, took me down into the storm cellar steps and shut the door, almost. Then she asked me to ___ and she would ___ me hers. I was about as clueless there as I still am about your safety pin.
    ..

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    Replies
    1. It's good to be a clueless kid, I think, Jim, for some stuff. Makes getting through life easier. :-)

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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