As far as memories go, I have no idea how far back they go for most people. I know for me, I can't remember but a few foggy things before the age of 4 or 5. Maybe that's normal. I haven't done a nationwide survey, so I wouldn't know. What I do know, however, is that I am blessed with an abundance of memories of my beautiful mother. From the time I was 4 years old, she raised me on her own. And I can tell you that it wasn't easy. There are a few very early memories of moments with my sweet mama that I hold dear to my heart. One in particular comes to mind quite often, and every time I think of it, my heart fills, and I'm taken back to a place where innocence was still alive, and love was pure and unconditional.
**When I was a very young child, my grandparents lived in the middle of Ensley. Their house was the ugliest green color you'd ever seen, but I loved it. They had a concrete porch with a wrought iron railing around it. A sidewalk stretched past the house and up to the two cement steps of the porch. You could walk through their tiny front yard, right up to that porch, stand next to it and still be about a head taller than the iron railing. I was only allowed to play on the porch if no one was outside with me; in the yard if someone was. One day, a beautiful day as I recall, my mother had to go somewhere and leave me at my grandparents house. I was posted in my usual spot on the porch sitting on the cold cement with my legs dangling through the iron bars. As I watched my mom walk away towards her car, she turned and gave me that grin and wave that only a mother could save for a daughter and suddenly I couldn't let her go! Before she could go any further I shouted to her, with all the challenge I could muster, "Mommy! Would you kiss me ONE HUNDRED times through the railing before you go?" I clearly remember, to this day, feeling a sense of giddy anticipation almost fearing she would say no, that she would be late or that she didn't have time for such nonsense. Yet my mother, my beautiful, caring and sensational mother, grinned even wider and turned on her heels. She marched right back to where I sat. She stuck her face right through those bars and looked me straight in my eyes. My eyes that she gave me. "Ready?" she asked. "Ready!" I yelled. And the kisses began. *SMOOCH* "ONE!", we both said. *SMOOCH* "TWO!" Back and forth between the bars of that railing. *SMOOCH* "THREE!" And on it went until we reached exactly ONE HUNDRED kisses and our lips were numb and we were both giggling uncontrollably. It took less than three minutes out of my mother's day, but it's lasted an incredible lifetime for me.**
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