Goodbye Grandma (For Now)

I know that I have mentioned once or twice that my mom has been living in Chicago with us for the past year.  What I haven't mentioned, though, is how much this gesture has affected both my life and that of my son.

I was given an extremely short time in which to decide whether I would ever have a child.  My mother (I now know) had assumed that she would never be a grandmother.  It was something that she had come to terms with.  Not knowing this, I was nervous about telling her that I was going to have a baby.  Ok, it's not so much the baby part as the "and I'm not getting married any time soon" part.  Fully recognizing now how silly it was, I actually had butterflies as she opened her birthday card to find an ultrasound photo.  She went absolutely insane with joy.  And it was this complete high of happiness that I initially thought led her to agree to move to Chicago for a year to help me and to get to know her grandson. 

At first, I didn't know what to think.  I was suddenly thrown into a situation where not only would I have a new little person in my life, I would (for the first time in over a decade) have an adult involved in my daily life.  My mother had never known me as a grown up, really, and I worried that we wouldn't survive the year.  I couldn't have been more mistaken had I tried.

Over the past year I have been so blessed to have a friend, a partner, a confidante and a mother, all wrapped up in one incredible woman.  We have been through a lot of ups and downs and have learned a lot from and about each other.  And together we have met and learned a lot about this precious little boy who brought us together.  From allowing me a few "adult" moments in my life to letting me be a child once in a while, my mother has brightened each and every day of the past 365 through her generosity.  And I cannot begin to describe how much my son adores his Gram-ma-ma-ma. 

Tonight my mom heads back to sunshine and warmth and the life that she put on hold for us.  She has been our safety net and our own sunshine and we will miss her dearly each and every single day.  But we will also be eternally grateful for every moment we had with her.  And, as it's impossible to stop life from changing (boy, don't I know that one these days), we look forward to seeing her in new places and with new excitement. 

So, my dear mother, thank you beyond words for the gift that you have given me.  Our little boy and I love you very much.