‘Mom! That’s not a book!’ She looked confused. I stared for half a second before dying laughing.’: Woman shares fond Christmas memory of late mother, ‘this season has enough heartache’

“Today’s her birthday – my mom.

I almost wrote another grief-filled post about heartache at Christmas and missing loved ones.

But then I thought, I’d rather share a funny story.

You see, my mom’s birthday fell in December.

All you December babies know what this means…having to share your birthday with a major holiday, receiving a gift wrapped in Christmas paper rather than a birthday bag, even a ‘forgotten’ gift as your family snags a Christmas gift from your pile and calls it a birthday present.

Always a competition. Always feeling forgotten. Always striving for cheer to celebrate Jesus when you want to be celebrated, too.

It wasn’t selfish. It was just a December birthday.

(I kind of related to her December birthday because mine falls in January and I either received all the gifts that were too cleverly hidden and found later or gifted anything not yet purchased from my Christmas wish list.)

One thing she always made sure of, even though her birthday was in December, was to make everyone else’s Christmas joyful.

She was definitely a giver and always tried to give whatever was on your list. I’m an avid bibliophile so my list usually included a lengthy list of favorite authors and books I wanted.

One year, along with my list, I’d included a few other things, one of which I never received for Christmas.

I didn’t ask about it though, because that’s rude, unkind, and ungrateful. But my mom brought it up.

After all the hullabaloo was over, she came over and hugged me.

‘Amanda, I looked online and at every bookstore in the surrounding three counties but no one has ever heard of a book by Ralph Lauren called Romance. I’m so sorry!’

I stared at her for half a second before dying laughing.

‘Mom! That’s not a book! It’s perfume!’

She looked at me, a dazed look on her face. ‘Really? Well, no wonder the bookstores have never heard of it!’

I’d forgotten about this memory until I received a catalog in the mail this week with a bottle of Ralph Lauren Romance on the cover.

You know, this season has enough heartache for grieving friends and family.

But what keeps me going is sharing the warm memories of the ones who won’t be around this Christmas.”

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This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Amanda Wells, and originally appeared here. You can follow her journey on Facebook.  Submit your own story here and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.

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