Mother’s Day has always provided supreme opportunities for kitsch. Be it flower arrangements, stuffed animal displays in front of gas stations for last minute pick-ups, or greeting cards – store bought and handmade equally qualifying – Mother’s Day is a kitsch karousel that never ceases to go round.
Almost everything I owned growing up in Detroit was thrown out when my mom passed away suddenly when I was 16 and my father remarried. Aside from a rubber doll I got for my first birthday whose head was tied on with a string and a Ben Casey bobble head with a hole in his heart, the result of me shoving a pencil through it after an unrequited love incident at 12, I had almost nothing to remind me of the sweeter life that preceded all of this. (Which is why it meant so much to me to get back into the house I grew up in a few weeks ago.)
About 20 years ago, after years of thinking these two medically deficient dolls were the only artifacts of Little Allee that remained, my brother shipped me my old steamer trunk that had been hogging a corner of his garage since I graduated college. I had always assumed it was empty but inside was a small cigar box that contained letters, post cards, hamburger recipes, and this Mother’s Day card I had made for my mom when I was God knows how old. I hope it wasn’t too old as my interpretation of the world was slightly naive.
I have no idea what country Mekoila is right above the S. Pole and I’m happy to see that I thought California was important enough to hog the entire West side of the United States. I have no idea if I actually thought that Michigan, where I drew my happy little self in, was really the east-most state or if I forgot to leave room for it when I drew this map that looks more like a cross-section of a cow with different meat cuts in it. I hope you can see the little thumb I gave Michigan for accuracy right above my left hand. And I’m happy that I took the time to draw myself in my favorite type of pleated dress in grades 2-6:
I’m the tall one in that photo with my two cousins, Sue and Marjorie Singer. And if memory serves, that’s actually a giant Mother’s Day rose tucked into my belt that I made out of a toilet paper roll and tissue paper to give to my mom a couple of years after I made this card. My mother’s name was Rose so that flower had a lot of significance in our family.
I definitely misspelled ‘You’re’ but I’m happy to see that I gave the rose much petal definition and that the leaves look like jubilant uplifted arms as it was a very happy rose and a very happy Rose that celebrated Mother’s Day that year. I did, however, completely cheese out on the poetry I included inside. I have no idea where I copied this from but I’m happy to see that I knew enough as a budding designer to carry over the rose logo.
Thankfully in my later years I progressed to the point where I didn’t need someone else’s words to express how I was feeling.
Never one to leave space empty for long, I ended the card with a picture of a present. Of course, my mom’s only present from me that year was this card but as a first grade teacher she always appreciated the effort I put into art.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. And Happy Mother’s Day, Rose, wherever you may be now.
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Rusty Blazenhoff
Very sweet…thanks for sharing. :)
Lisa Rios
Sniffle. Lovely post. I especially like the last photo of the sleeping baby Allee. My mom’s gone too and this really touched my heart.
Georgia
Hugs and love to you this Mother’s Day!
(P.S. I’m so, so happy for you that your magic trunk of wonderful memories was reunited with you. To me, crayons and manilla paper seem to create the most heartfelt artwork on the planet.)
Allee Willis
Thanks, all.
denny
I loved everything about this post.
This day is your day Rose. :)
k2dtw
I’m deeply touched by your sweet, funny, and loving post.
BeeJay
I´m one day too late as I was out meeting my Mom and family. Now I just read this and it touched me so much. That drawing by you is the sweetest thing ever, Allee, and the story of shoving a pencil through the bobble heads heart made me smile (and hope today you can smile about too, as we all know experiencing unrequited love in that age is an ultra downer!)
Much love to you and Rose, wherever she is. Maybe she´s in Mekoila now – she has every reason to be proud of her gorgeous daughter! xx
windupkitty
As usual the awmok has me in tears, but for once it’s not with laughter…wow, i lost my shit when the first card pooped onto my screen , and allee, i hadn’t even realized it was one you had made for your mom…what a truly great gift that these incredible memories were so well preserved…..
what’s always struck me about you is that you have more heart than most people i’ve ever met and that just blasts through every tiny detail of this post…..the last pic with your gorgeous mother holding a sleepy little snugglepuss is responsible for half a box of kleenex over here…..i know where ever she is, she is proud to be your mom and i’m sure thankful that she got you here :) it’s niagra falls over here for sure..thanks for sharing…
windupkitty
shit, i meant popped onto my screen….and ya know i just wrote pooped again by accident :D i’m gonna go tae a pill :D
Allee Willis
Loving all these comments…