Mother's Day

What if you could write a letter and deliver it to your former self or someone you love, at some key point in the past, warning of mistakes to avoid? Or encouraging yourself to persevere? Or hinting at the many good times that lie ahead? My classroom kids and I recently gave this a shot. With Mother's Day quickly approaching I was determined to have them create something special their moms would enjoy (especially after having forgotten to do anything at all last year).

The kids and I created prewriting notes around our childhoods: stories you've been told about when you were a baby, accidents you had, great vacations you've been on, the best gifts you've ever received, cute things you've said, trouble you've gotten into, sad things that have happened, and things your mom has done to make you feel loved. We took these notes and used them to write letters to our mothers. Letters that might be delivered the morning before our own deliveries - our birth day.

I was worried this might be a little difficult but what they came up with was both amazing and heart-felt. Their notes moved from humorous to nostalgic to touching.

"Don't be alarmed by those pains in your stomach. You're just having a baby. Me in particular."

"Some day you're going to decide to have another baby for me to play with. I'm going to hit her and even push her off the couch. Remember that I still love her though."

"We're going to go on some great vacations together. Don't be surprised if I never want to leave. We'll visit..."

"You might be tempted to buy me socks or underwear for my birthday but I'm going to like toys. I'm going to really LOVE toys!"

"You're going to be the best mom. And I'm going to be your 'special' girl."

After we had our first drafts complete we worked hard to create our own stationary for these letters. The kids carefully drew hearts and swirlies and dots.

"Please don't draw Gamecocks or footballs," I pleaded.

"But my mom LOVES the Gamecocks and football," a few protested.

"I'm sure you think she does," I countered. "That's part of what makes her such a great mom. But for this one day let's give her something other than sports."

After completing their stationary we took more than an hour to meticulously transfer our drafts onto the paper. I was so amazed by their work I ran them down to the office to make copies for my files before the originals were laminated and sent home. I hope they were well received.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

June 11, 1974

Dear Mom,

Today is a BIG day. You are about to give birth to a tiny baby boy. He won't stay tiny very long, though. Soon he will become fat. Really fat. He's going to cry a lot too. Even more than most other babies. Nothing you do will help. He will scream through your very best efforts to rock him, walk him, and sing to him. Remember that this is not his fault. He cannot help it. With time and patience this will pass and he will fill your days with laughter and smiles.

You'll want to keep a close eye on this little guy as he learns to crawl. Keep him in your sights - especially when going out of the house. He might one day crawl away from you, pull down his diaper, and leave a "present" on someone else's floor. Though it may not seem like it at the time this will one day be very funny. There will be other mistakes made. Should you decide to dress him up for a studio photograph you may want to consider having him use the potty first. This will save you some frustration and him some shame.

There will be many good times ahead. He will say silly things like "pamshoo" for shampoo and "mertmane" for airplane. He'll cruise the house on his Tike bike. He'll grow to be a good listener and baseball crazy. Time will fly as you take family trips to the Ozarks and to Arkansas. You will celebrate the excitement of new pets and cry together when they die. There will be church gatherings, movies, and games. Most of all there will be laughter. Hold on to as many of these moments as you can. They are easier to forget than you could ever imagine.

You're going to make a great mom. You'll give him lots of hugs, plenty of Band-aids, and a lot of love. All your hard work will help him grow up and go to college, become a teacher, and have a loving family of his own.

So brace yourself not just for this one BIG day but for the many smaller ones that will follow. They are all just as important and just as special. Enjoy your journey!

Love,
Your son, Chris