Connecting with Mom
by Julie Johnson, Tastemaker in Residence
Quality uninterrupted time with my mom can be hard to come by so I periodically will establish some ‘mom time’… simply just me and her. I really appreciate the time of ditching the technology and engaging in some great conversations!
Since it is Mother’s Day weekend, my mom and I took some time on Saturday morning to connect by checking out the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market for the first time this season. It was a chilly morning but felt the warmth of our time together as we were very intentional with our conversation. It seems we often take for granted the awareness or perceived awareness of our loved ones so it was the perfect opportunity to ask her some questions about her most favorite and challenging moments as a mom. Additionally, the conversation evolved into some interesting facts about her childhood.
Let’s start with her favorite moment…she said, “it was becoming a mom on Mother’s Day.” I knew my brother and I shared a birthday (we are three years apart) but I had know idea he was born on Mother’s Day! I am one of three children so my mom also shared the pure joy she experienced with each of our births. The challenges…those are a bit more personal but as the conversation evolved, it was really fun to learn more about her youth!
For example, she grew popcorn and sold it in three or five-pound sizes typically packaged in brown paper bags. Selling popcorn was work but she considered her role at the local mercantile store her first ‘official’ job while making $1.00 an hour. When I stop and think about it, an 8-hour day at $1.00 per hour would barely be enough to put a few gallons of gas in the car today. Times sure have changed!
We also talked about her education and she was the only girl in a class of eleven students until she went to 9th grade. She transferred to a new school for 9th grade and remembers feeling so excited to join a school with an opportunity to make friends with more girls. The only downfall was her lack of coordination to do round-offs and jumps leaving her without a spot on the cheerleading squad. So, she had to settle for school mascot. And a highlight was being asked to prom by an upper classman during her sophomore year! Whoa, baby!
These memories and other more serious conversations rolled throughout the entire morning! As I reflect on this time, I’m just pinching myself for not asking some of these questions sooner. So, I challenge you to connect with your mom and take the time to learn something new about her. I recognize some of you are unable to celebrate with your mom, so feel free to connect with a neighbor, close friend or family member. As I discovered, there is an endless amount of information you can learn about someone when you truly connect!
