A Stepmother in Time...
Today is my stepmother's birthday. And in honor of her, let's first look back at the most famous of stepmothers...and do a little compare/contrast with mine. (If she sees this, she will kill me. Please notify the authorities if I mysteriously disappear.)
Cinderella's Stepmother: http://www.tonightsbedtimestory.com/cinderella-or-the-little-glass-slipper/ In case you want to read the original text on this..
To compare: My stepmother, Keren, definitely appreciates cleanliness. We have an ongoing argument about whether or not she vacuumed every single day when we were kids. I vote yes. She votes no. Either way - she maintains a spotless home. She also has 2 daughters - as does Cinderella's. And she is, in fact, my father's 2nd wife. That's where the similarities end.
She also never made me sleep in the attic. In fact, I am/was always lucky enough to sleep in the fancy guest room. And she always makes sure I have everything I need.
What makes a great stepmother..........
I am also very thankful for Keren. She's been a GREAT stepmother...and a fantastic GiGi for my children. I can't remember much about my life before she came along - and I certainly can't imagine what it would be without her now. Because she is the same age as my favorite aunt in the whole world, she always sort of seemed like that to me. An authority figure - but not really a parent. Her role has always been sounding board and secret keeper. (I bet my sisters would say the same thing about her - although I'm sure she was much sterner with them than me.)
Summer vacations at my dad's house were always magical because they were out of the ordinary. And I loved that Keren always let me do things in the kitchen when I was there. (Probably because she was chasing 3 other kids around..) We still giggle about me getting to make the Tuna Helper for lunch. I thought that was the greatest thing EVER. She also let me help make Daddy's birthday cake one year. It was such a big deal to be treated like the "big girl" when I was with her.
And then there was my all-time favorite car. She drove a blue Volkswagon beetle when we were little. It was the coolest car! (Her memory of it is quite different.) I remember a bird hitting the windshield once - and her telling me that blue cars get hit by birds more than cars of other colors. And I remember looking in the back seat and seeing Damon and Kerensa..with Jessy between them in her carrier. (At least I think Jessy was there!) I wanted her to save that car for me till I was 16. She still swears she did me a favor by not honoring that request.
Another thing I love about Keren is hearing her play the piano. She swears she's not that good - but when she sits down and starts playing old hymns, all is right with the world. We used to sing with her when we were little. Now she and Gracey sit together and play when we are at their house. It's so sweet - and so "home" to me.
She is as nostalgic as I am about geneology - and we always have fun digging for more family history. And she's definitely my daddy's best friend. Her tolerance of all things "Godwin" is without a doubt a jewel in her crown. (Bless her heart - she's put up with ALL OF US for so long...I'm surprised she's still sane.)
So........HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEREN! We love you!
PS. I was serious about my disappearance. Not only does she hate pictures of herself - she hates it when we call attention to her.....and retaliation is highly possible! ;)
Cinderella's Stepmother: http://www.tonightsbedtimestory.com/cinderella-or-the-little-glass-slipper/ In case you want to read the original text on this..
To contrast: Keren NEVER made me clean. Keep stuff put away - yes. Scrub floors, etc. Nope. She also never treated me with anything put kindness and love. In fact, she's always been a lot of fun. Even when I probably wasn't all that much fun to be around, she has loved me.
We wear the same size shoe - so I guess if a prince charming showed up with a glass slipper, she could just as easily put it on her foot. But I bet she'd have pointed him directly to me after grilling him about whether or not he was good enough for me!
She also never made me sleep in the attic. In fact, I am/was always lucky enough to sleep in the fancy guest room. And she always makes sure I have everything I need.
What makes a great stepmother..........Keren and my daddy have been married since I was 7 years old. And while divorce is never an ideal situation, I can safely say that my parents did a great job! They have always been respectful and kind in every word and deed regarding each other. I am very thankful for that!
I am also very thankful for Keren. She's been a GREAT stepmother...and a fantastic GiGi for my children. I can't remember much about my life before she came along - and I certainly can't imagine what it would be without her now. Because she is the same age as my favorite aunt in the whole world, she always sort of seemed like that to me. An authority figure - but not really a parent. Her role has always been sounding board and secret keeper. (I bet my sisters would say the same thing about her - although I'm sure she was much sterner with them than me.)
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| Just another adventure! |
And then there was my all-time favorite car. She drove a blue Volkswagon beetle when we were little. It was the coolest car! (Her memory of it is quite different.) I remember a bird hitting the windshield once - and her telling me that blue cars get hit by birds more than cars of other colors. And I remember looking in the back seat and seeing Damon and Kerensa..with Jessy between them in her carrier. (At least I think Jessy was there!) I wanted her to save that car for me till I was 16. She still swears she did me a favor by not honoring that request.
Another thing I love about Keren is hearing her play the piano. She swears she's not that good - but when she sits down and starts playing old hymns, all is right with the world. We used to sing with her when we were little. Now she and Gracey sit together and play when we are at their house. It's so sweet - and so "home" to me.
She is as nostalgic as I am about geneology - and we always have fun digging for more family history. And she's definitely my daddy's best friend. Her tolerance of all things "Godwin" is without a doubt a jewel in her crown. (Bless her heart - she's put up with ALL OF US for so long...I'm surprised she's still sane.)
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| Keren and my niece Cordelia |
I guess what I'm saying is that if ever there was a perfect stepmother in the world - I got her. She puts up with my need to plan. She's always game to run around and do whatever we want to do when we visit. And she's the best "game player" ever. If you want to play a game, just ask her. She's always ready! (My girls LOVE this about their GiGi.) I couldn't have asked for a better "other mother" - and I'm so thankful God gave her to me!
PS. I was serious about my disappearance. Not only does she hate pictures of herself - she hates it when we call attention to her.....and retaliation is highly possible! ;)
What a special tribute. Thanks for sharing. I always thought she was great growing up, too! Happy Birthday Ms. Keren!!
ReplyDeleteLaurie "aka potsinger"
Awww... that was incredibly sweet. I sure hope she enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteMy parents divorced when I was seven. My mom made sure my dad was included in our lives. Even when he remarried (several times) he and his wife would come and stay at my mom's house when they were in town. We would all sit down to dinner together and have breakfast together. I appreciated her for her unconditional love for us to do that.
Well, I have just discovered your wonderful blog! I love this piece on Keren. Every bit of it is true! We lived across the street in Pineville, and I remember her making plans for your summer visits! She always wanted to be sure everything was perfect! You are indeed very lucky to have her in your life!
ReplyDeletePhyllis Lewellyn (aka Laurie's mom!)