The First Holiday We Were Back Together
Mothers/Fathers Day, 2021
The last time I saw my mom and dad in person, was Dec. 26th, 2019, the day after Christmas, when I took them to the airport to fly home to Denver. We had plans for a summer trip in Colorado, and both my parents were going to come out to my place in Los Angeles for a solo visit each over the year. Followed by a grand big destination Christmas.
We all know what happened next. 2020 The year of Isolation.
I wouldn't call my mom paranoid, but I would say they are both at the age and medical station where being overly precautions and paranoid is actually very smart. Summer came and went and though I begged them for a visit and professed how I'd been isolating and avoiding all people, mom still insisted that we wait. Now I know most people love their parents, it's a given. But I actually love being around my parents. They are smart wacky funny people with life experiences that to this day can still shock me, and I love to join in with them and have amazing conversations about music, history and politicks. So for me to not be around them was actually very frustrating. We settled for a year of virtual gifts that included bouquets for Mom, big elegant take home meals from their favorite restaurants and online wishlists fulfilled.
But I missed being around them, a lot. So, I secretly planned a surprise trip home for Christmas of 2020. I didn't tell Mom or Chuck my plans, though I did ask Mom2 Marge (Mom's best friend since we were tots) to pick me up from the airport so I could surprise them. When I asked Josh to drive me to the airport that week he was surprised Mom had agreed to allow me to visit because when he was driving through Denver over the Summer, the parents would only meet at an open air restaurant and no one could come to their home.
This naturally planted the seed of doubt in my mind and I eventually broke down on Christmas Eve and called my dad Chuck to see if it would be ok. Long story short, it wasn't and I cancelled my trip. They just weren't ready to take any risks and put all of our tomorrows on the line for one single holiday. If we skipped this one, we would have the next ones. Hard but solid logic.
The next holiday turned out to be Mothers Day 2021. Though it wasn't planned and it wasn't just to celebrate Mother's day. A month prior on March 18th, in one of Colorado's famous Spring Blizzards, my dad was leaving for work in the morning and slipped on ice and broke his hip and leg bone. He spent 9 days in the ICU where they put a steel rod in his leg and put screws in his hip. He then moved to a recovery hospital for another 14 days where he began the long road to recovery. He was finally sent home on April 13th to recover at home and begin his physical therapy, which went from being able to stand up, to being able to stand at a walker, being able to walk with the walker and we are almost at the point where he can start using a cane instead of a walker.
Through all of this, Mom was right there by his side. She spent most of her days and nights either at the hospital sitting with him or at home making him food he could eat because the food at the hospital tasted like hospital food. Then on the weekend Chuck came home, Josh flew out there to make sure the place was set up well for his PT and recovery, helping mom with moving and donating a bunch of stuff. I'd say I'm mad at him for seeing her last summer when I couldn't, but he was such a huge help that I can't really hold a grudge about it.
But once I got that second shot at the end of April, I booked my ticket and planned my trip home at last!
I flew out to Denver last Saturday and the next day, Mothers Day, we went and had an amazing sit down dinner, her first in over a year. Being that we've all been vaccinated, Mom was feeling more relaxed and we actually got to have a couple really nice dinners out, including the traditional Red Robin dinner with Marge, who it was just as wonderful to hug and see.
Mom made sure to make some of my favorite home made dishes while I was there, like King Ranch Chicken and her special Chicken Noodle Soup. We got to eat while they watched the Oscar winning short film I was in last year, Two Distant Strangers, on Netflix. I especially loved getting all four of the seasons in the week I was there, it was warm and sunny, then thunderstorms and lightning followed by snow that blanketed everything and back to sunny and hot!!
While Chuck watched his sportsball games and practiced his drums as part of his recovery, Mom and I went on several drives down memory lane...
We went to see several of our favorite childhood homes:
(The Duplex)
(The Dented Tree)
*For those of you wondering why it's called the Dented Tree, when I was about 7, my parents charged me with cleaning the trash out of the car. I went, begrudgingly, and did this task. As you all know, I do what I want... so in the middle of cleaning I somehow became a pilot who was flying some secret mission or another. As a pilot I had to punch buttons and pull levers, so... I did. I pulled the only lever there was, the drive stick. I pulled it right into reverse. Did I mention that our driveway was at the top of a hill. Yeah. That tree is the only thing that prevented the car, and me in it, from rolling down the hill. I love that tree.
(The House on South End)
She took me to a couple other favorite childhood haunts as well...
(TinyTown!!!! It's so huge now!)
(Troublesome Gultch)
(Casa Bonita!! Yes, I'm Eric Cartman, I thought you knew.)
(The Kittredge General Store in my Hometown)
(Just driving through my old 700 person mountain town and saying hi to the wildlife)
Then on my last full day I took a solo trip to a couple places that stand out so vividly from my childhood.
The Church yard bus stop where I had my very first fist fight. There was (and always will be) a group of local bullies who had targeted me, they held my brother back while I went at it with their leader, Shawn McKenzie. I know I landed at least one good hit because he had the bruise a couple days later when I saw him. But he landed the final blow with one good jab directly to the nose which resulted in a flow of blood that made the entire gathering scatter. My brother walked me to the general store where they washed my face and hands off and gave me a free piece of candy.
The Damn that Josh "fell" into one winter while trying to "save" me. We were over on the wrong side and we decided crossing the dam was the easiest way to get back. So we did. We were so scared of falling off either side that when he pretended to topple to freak me out, I did the only thing I thought would save his life. I pushed him toward the water instead of the drop off. I mean, I did run right home and got the parents... And he was able to pull himself out... I totally saved his life. It looks so small now, I literally laughed at our fear when I took this pic. (Random fox used for scale)
This is the famed Ice Cream Cabin that Chuck lived in when he met Mom. This was deep in the heart of Kerr Gultch next to what we called the Glass House because it was floor to ceiling windows that wrapped all the way around the house. It was so opulent and right on the front corner of it's yard, sits this tiny little three room shack, it was the first time I learned about juxtaposition.
Last, but definitely not least, Evergreen Lake. Here, we learned to canoe, swim, ice-skate, watch the fireworks and develop a sense of home and belonging. Every time I come here I feel the magic that nostalgia brings, how powerful it is, how much I still love this place, no matter how it changes.
And that was it... Seven glorious days with my parents after a year and a half apart. While I've often said there is serious growth and value in the concept of "running away from home" it should also be said that there is no magic as strong as love and going home again.
Happy Mothers Day Mom, I love you and Chuck more than anything, thanks for everything.
Love
Shane
