“Letters from Mom”
Mom wrote me hundreds of letters and would often send me greeting cards with snipped comics or articles from newspapers or magazines she thought I'd enjoy.
Here’s a letter mom wrote me towards the beginning of my second semester away at college. I have no recollection of what I might have done to my leg that worried her so much. (I probably wiped out on my bike riding to class.) The “Steve” she mentions was (is?) probably Steve Secunda, the chiropractor she saw for years.
1/15/92
Hi, David,Well, this could be it – the last of the Garfield. You guessed it; I’m at work early, but I don’t feel like starting yet.
New boss here as of Monday. As usual, we were told no changes in job responsibilities. As usual, she walked in and handed me a report she wants done daily. And she has already changed how I have to do some key parts of my job. She spent Monday – or most of it – sitting in front of my desk asking me questions. Consequently, I got 0 work done. I had come in ½ hr. early and stayed late. The same yesterday. I don’t know, love; but I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Julie can’t stand her. Julie doesn’t like anyone in management, so that’s not so unusual, but I see trouble a’comin’.
Ah, well. How’s your leg? I guess I’ll know before you get this. You scared the heck out of me and Jenny. So, here’s the proper and required introduction to that kind of call, “Hi, Mom. Nothing’s broken and I have no fatal or operation-requiring diseases,” etc., etc. When you called and nonchalantly said you had a “boo-boo,” I, of course, immediately recalled a similar situation when you phoned and said, “Mom, I did something stupid…” Thereafter, I saw you experience more pain than I want to ever see again. So, remember, maternal rules require assuming the worst as soon as a certain tone of voice is discerned. It is your responsibility to circumvent (damn, I’m good) those assumptions by following the above-noted instructions.
I just want you to know; I did send in both Publisher’s Clearing house and American Family Sweepstakes forms.
I went to talk to David Gonsalves about the way J coaches. As you know, I’m far from the first and probably won’t be the last. At least he listened. He also said that he felt coaches should be evaluated every year, just like teachers, not based on whether or not the teams win, but on the criteria of how they relate to and teach the kids. I also know someone else talked to him last week.
At Jenny’s game in New Smyrna last night, J was a different man. He was encouraging and supportive, and he let everyone play for at least a few minutes. You would have thought he was schitsophrenic (sp?). R has not been at the last 3 games or so. When I casually asked J , he said she was boycotting the games. Hmmm!
I guess I’d better get going. Damn, I hate being sick or hurting all the time! Lately, it’s really bad allergies, chest congestion, headaches and my back (which, according to Steve, is what causes acute, sudden pain between my shoulder blades, following by excruciating pains inside my upper body, an inability to swallow or breath at all. I, of course, am thinking lung cancer, etc.) I hate it! And I don’t know how to change it! And it’s not all in my mind. I wish I could feel good for a while! And I’m sorry to burden you with this.
I love you lots, and I miss you like Hell!!
Mom