Most people wouldn't have assumed that Katie and Sylvia Self were sisters. The way Momma treated Sylvia was like a mother bear with her cub. She watched over her and she wouldn't let her fall into harm's way, but she wasn't soft. Momma made sure that people could take care of themselves because she couldn't support them forever. Sylvia knew that. The energy flow between them slowly absorbed me. Those feelings of protection and love were waves, pulling me into the family sea. Between the two of them I never felt alone. Even when they argued, I knew they would make up and be my protectors. It was as if I was a princess, Momma was my queen, and Sylvia was my knight.
I am the daughter of a hard-working, protective woman, and I am lucky to have her. Momma has always had strong morals. She loved children more then anything. She was only sixteen when I entered this world. With little help from a grandmother I don't remember, she worked. Momma was a phoenix. When she was put down, she would spread her wings and rise higher than she had ever been before. She turned towards the troublesome paths, and rather then shun them, as so many do, she would show sympathy and help those who had made harmful decisions. Momma was like my muse in a way. She gave me my inspiration on the way I wanted to live my life.
I idolized my aunt in more ways than one. Mostly it was her beauty. Chestnut hair was thin, but healthy. Small amounts of baby fat spread throughout her body, but I thought her body's curves were gorgeous. The clothes in her closet formed into my fashion ideals. Her skin was pale though, I preferred my caramel color. Sylvia Self, now Sylvia Green, taught me about life. As a girl I needed to know about what changes I was going through. Sylvia seemed to be a library of information to me. When she married and moved away I was full of so many different emotions. In truth, she was more my sister than my aunt.
I remembered the gravel shifting below our feet as we walked. Geese and ducks squawked around us. My left hand was firmly clasped in Momma's, and in my right was a slice of bread. The sun's reflection danced in the lake beside us. The aroma of soil surrounded us as we walked along the shady path. One persistent goose kept pestering me. I started getting upset when Momma stopped walking and picked me up.
"Don't let it bother you. You're better than the goose. You're my daughter."
I love my mom more than anything in this world.
 Alatria · Thu Dec 21, 2006 @ 12:46am · 0 Comments |
