OPERATION: MOM

There wouldn’t be an OPERATION: MOM if there wasn’t an OPERATION: MOOSE.

If your mind is drawing a blank at OPERATION: MOOSE, perhaps it’s because you haven’t read the blog before this one titled, The 8-Track.

If you haven’t read The 8-Track, please do so before continuing here. I think it will be worth your time.

If you did read The 8-Track and wish to continue, well then my little pumpkin, FORWARD MARCH!

When us kids started putting together OPERATION: MOOSE for dad, I let everyone know that I would be taking dad’s place when he was in Indiana.

My parents who are both 72 years old, have my sister, Amanda who is 19 and my nephew, Josiah who is 17, still living at home.

So, taking my dad’s place meant taking and picking up Amanda from work and taking and picking up Josiah from wrestling practice.

I also offered to pick up any groceries if needed and run any errands dad would normally do.

I did tell my mom though, that I would not be taking her coffee in bed every morning like my dad does.

I was looking forward to this change of scenery and mom’s beck and call.

On a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I drove from Red Rock, Arizona to the southwest side of Tucson, Arizona with an open heart and wonder.

Wonder as in wondering what the day would bring.

Monday brought a dead battery.

I had gone to the airport to see my dad and brother, Andy off and when it was time for me to head to mom’s house, my Brilliant Red Fiat, LOOCIL, wouldn’t budge.

I immediately called my sister-in-law, Lorena who was leaving the airport herself and she circled back to pick me up.

We grabbed breakfast from McDonald’s and headed for mom’s house.

When my other brother, Ben heard that LOOCIL was stuck at the airport, he left work to give LOOCIL a jump, using some gadget. Thanks, Ben!

LOOCIL came to life and mom followed me in her car to the dealership.

LOOCIL needed a new battery and what is awesome is that the warranty for said kaput battery was about to expire within weeks.

Got a new battery for free and I thanked God for this little blessing in disguise.

And so it goes, I spent five days, all day with mom, Amanda and Josiah.

And you know what? I loved it!

I loved picking up Amanda from work and asking her how much she made in tips.

One day we tried out a new to us cookie shop. Amanda ordered a big thick pink cookie, and I ordered a big thick purple one called Purple Haze that left my teeth looking hazy all right!

If that wasn’t bad enough, the girl who rang us up gave us each a sticker that said, ” Thic Thighs Save Lives ” !

I loved eating lunch with Josiah and my mom at their kitchen table and I especially loved it when we went out to eat on a moody morning and spent a couple of hours there at the restaurant talking about life.

Grocery shopping at the little Walmart with Amanda and Josiah was cute.

About mom…

I considered it a blessing to spend five days in a row, all day with mom.

I have been married for 27 years now and have never done something like this, to this extent.

But there arose a need to keep mom company while dad was away and to help her out because of physical limitations.

These days, she is wearing a knee brace and using crutches but that didn’t stop her from making us tacos on a Thursday or going to the Tucson mall on Friday.

Mom, Amanda and Josiah missed dad and I would give them pep talks free of charge.

Donning my cheerleading uniform and with pom poms in hand, I would encourage them by yelling,

Rah, rah, moo, dad needs a break from you! Rah, rah, dim, you need a break from him!

Pretty sure they would have strangled me if they could…

The angels were singing but mom was singing louder when dad got back home from Indiana.

Dad told mom he fell for Indiana, and he literally did when he was there.

In fact, I think he fell for it twice and legend has it that mom missed dad so much, she’s now serving him coffee in bed!

~missy salcido wead

2 responses to “OPERATION: MOM”

  1. These are really AWESOME….Excellent writing.