Mother, Daughter, Grand Daughter Trip

April 11, 2022

In 103 days My mom, my daughter, and I will be taking a trip.

During the trip, my mom will turn 65.

And for her milestone birthday, we are going home together.

We are going without many plans. Well, I should rephrase that, I am going without any real plans. My daughter has a few. She has only been to Newfoundland once, but she knows what she likes and it would seem custard cones are near the top of that list.

The idea for the trip started kind of thanks to this blog. My mom reads it (Hi Mom!) and picked up on my wanting to learn more about her family. I know the basics, I can name names and for the most part, I have the main players down. But there is a difference between knowing the names and seeing where it all happened.

My mom and I have always been close, mostly because for a long time we were it for each other. And my daughter is just like us. We wear our hearts on our sleeves and act tough. We love deeply and get hurt easily. We run our mouths a little more than we should, and we don't trust easily. We are fiercely loyal and never forget a friend.

I have some hopes for this trip though. I hope my mom gets to spend some quality time with her sisters, I hope that we can get our hands on a rental car, and I hope that my daughter gets a custard cone. I am hoping that my mom gets to tell me all of the stories she wants to tell and that this trip gives her the opportunity to lay some ghosts to rest. Sharing burdens/family stories makes them easier to carry.

My mom didn't have the easiest childhood or any childhood after the age of 12. Your mom's passing will do that to you. And because she passed so early, I never got to meet her or have her pass any of our family histories to me. Part of me feels like this trip will make my grandmother more real to me. To see where she lived, to see the town that she grew up in will flesh her out a little more. Make her more of a person, and less just a face in a black and white photo. I was given her name, and I feel like I need to know more about her.

We don't always have the opportunity to go back and see where we come from. And sometimes when we do, it's too late to do it with the people you love, the ones who can tell you why you're there and why that spot is important. The universe provides us what we need, and I am not sure which of the three of us needs this trip more. But I am so grateful that I am being the chance to do it.

Music Corner

When I was young, my mom and I would go on road trips when she had a day off. One of the tapes I remember playing and playing and playing was The Spanish Train and Other Stories by Chris DeBurgh. I love a song with a story, and every single song on this album would make an amazing novel. So, picking one song to talk about was a little difficult. I am sure that I will talk about the other songs as this blog continues.

The first track on the record is called Spanish Train. The song starts with the sound of a train horn and the running of one on the tracks. It tells the story of God and The Devil playing cards to win souls. Between DeBurgh's voice and the lyrics, the song is pretty unforgettable.

The album was released in 1975 with two different covers, one with a white script on a black background for Europe, Asia, and Africa. The other with a red sky and a train in the distance was released in the Americas. The song was originally banned in Africa because the lyrics were thought to be blasphemous. The record company released a different album without this song on it called Lonely Skies and other stories, this version has since become a collector's item.

Shopping Corner

Women Who Run With Wolves