This Pandemic Made Me Want to Hear My Mom's Voice (and that's atypical for me)

My mom is a talker.  And she's a loud talker.  Her quiet voice is... well... I'm not sure she has a quiet voice!

Of course I love my mom.  We've had our ups and downs as most mothers and daughters have, but enjoy a pleasant and comfortable relationship now, and have for years. 

That being said, I've never been one of those daughters that's like, "My mom is my best friend.  We get along so well.  We could talk for hours." 

I think it's sweet some daughters have that kind of relationship with their mothers and I know plenty of such mom-daughter duos but, my mom and I aren't like that! 

We typically talk for a few minutes, just to catch up, every 2-3 days and see each other once/week, for a few minutes at a time.  My mom likes to spend quality time with her only grandson, my son, every week if possible, which is nice. 

So, Knowing the Relationship I have with my Mother (we're close but not 'talk-every-day-kind-of-close') I was caught off guard when I had a burning desire to hear her voice yesterday evening. 

I was feeling completely overwhelmed and a little panicky about this corona virus.  My 6 year old son had a cough and I was freaked out. I had also experienced a very challenging day teaching (p.t. substitute teacher). I had to break up 5 physical altercations and had 2 different boys puke in my 2nd grade classroom in one day.  

And I was subbing for a teacher that was out with the flu. -Hard to believe? -Become a sub and see for yourself how some days play out. 

Anyhow, it was around 5:30 p.m. and I called my mom.  I was feeling very anxious and just wanted to hear my mom's voice. 

"Hey Girl, what are you doing?" she answered. 

We spoke for probably 2 minutes before my son came in with his dad, crying.  He had fallen down and scraped his knee while outside. 

I got off the phone and tended to my child, holding him, putting on antibacterial spray, Neosporin and a band aid.  I hugged him, gently sshhh-ing him, telling him it would be o.k.  

And it hit me, this is why I needed to hear my mom's voice.  

It was ingrained in me as a comforting mechanism. It was, it is, part of my being.  Since before I was born my mom's voice has soothed me one way or another over the years. 

And sometimes I hear people say, "I can't believe I'll never hear her voice again," when they lose a mother.

-I got a taste of the weight of that statement.  They're not referring just to their mother's voice. They're referring to that comfort, that familiarity, that first voice we heard, in the womb, however many years ago.

And yesterday, just like that, hearing my mother's voice, just for a minute was enough for me. It was enough to lighten the weight of the world.  How special, how cool is that?

Footnote: My son's cough is nearly gone.