"P" Night

Today is a very special lady's birthday--my mom turns...29...today!

When we were in Key West, the family was talking about childhood memories, and one of my favorites was "P" night. Every Friday, "P" night, we'd have pizza and pop and get to watch a movie. Because I was always a nerd, I named it "P" night. It was all very exciting and a change from our everyday life.

I mentioned this to my mom a couple of years ago and she said that she would do it because by the end of the week she was tired of cooking and wrangling three kids and that was a good solution. I told her that she ruined "P" night for me because it was always something awesome, but I realize that really, this whole story is kind of representative of our relationship and how it has changed over the years.

I had the best mom growing up, a mom who even when she wasn't trying to gave us the best memories. She was always there for us and even though I didn't realize how awesome it was at the time, my parents came to watch nearly all of our events--plays and concerts and tennis matches and lacrosse games and gymnastics meets, etc. She would pick us up from school, make cookies with us, help us with our homework.

And now, she is one of my best friends--and we have the kind of relationship where she can tell me the secret behind "P" night. And now, we can have a different version of "P" night, where we get pizza and salad take out and cupcake wine and sit on the couch and watch one of the many similar shows we watch. Again without trying, she has given me memories and tradtions--going to PF Changs before I leave on the train, shopping trips, walks around the neighborhoods with the dogs.

In April I went back to help my parents pack up our house and I realized that I wasn't as sad as I expected. Because, as I told her, she is always home for us, and she and my dad will make wherever they end up our home, because we will be together, probably having "P" night.