Flashback

I was sitting on the guard stand this morning while Joan played one of her cd's for her aerobics classes.  And as I listened to the music that she was playing, there were several that reminded me of all of the memories that I have with my mother.

The first song is Ricky Martin-Livin la Vida Loca.  This memory is kinda funny, I can remember going to Best Buy and seeing that cd on the rack.  I begged and begged and  begged for her to buy it for me because everyone was listening to it.  It was the thing to listen to.  She did, and told me not to ask for anything else, but we would listen to it in the car on the way home!  I was so excited, I could hardly stand still.  We listened to it and rocked out all the way home!

The next song is a more recent memory.  My High School Graduation party out at woodland park.  It was rainy and muddy, but we still had a bbq with most of family and friends.  She decorated the pavilion with mine and Ryan's help of course.  purple and white streamers everywhere.  And then she surprises me with this giant balloon that said "Celebrate and Congratulations."  And when you hit it it played the song, Celebrate.  She thought it was the coolest thing, and every time someone would hit it she would stop what she was doing and rock out to it.  I can remember being so embarrassed by it, but now that I think back on it, I think she was just happy that she got to celebrate my graduation with me!

Grease.  Enough said right?  My mom and I used to sit down and watch it together.  It was our favorite movie, besides most of the classics.  She was a huge fan of Olivia Newton John, so much so that when she came to St. Louis we went to go see her live in concert.  My mom always looked up to her because of her battle with breast cancer.  I was a little girl when we went to see her.  So this next song is Greased Lightning!  My mom also thought John Travolta looked as she put it..."smokin'" in this movie!

The YMCA is of course a huge one for me.  From being in swim lessons at the Granite City Y to being in summer camp in Maryville, to a CIT and a camp counselor and recently a lifeguard and swim instructor, lets just say that the Y has been a big part of my life.  I remember listening to JC Corcoran in the mornings on the way to school or camp.  My mom is also the reason for the latchkey or what is now called SACC before and after program in Collinsville school district, so all you parents remember that when you go to put your children in that program.  My mom has been there for me through thick and thin for as long as I have been either a member or an employee of the YMCA.  I can remember listening to radio and whenever this song came on we would drop everything and dance together in the living room.  Some of the moves she would pull were quite hilarious.  Some of them are actually pictured in the music video below.

Those are the most stand outish songs.  Now of course there are more, but if I added them you would be reading and watching this post for like an hour.  So I decided that three is plenty.  I guess I could could this as a music post to since its been a while.  So there you have it my happy memories with my mother, brought on by song.  Its amazing how something so small can remind you of the good times with someone that has passed.  I hope that she is reading this as I type it and smiling down on me in Heaven.  I love you mom, and I know that If you were to really be able to read this you would love it.  So here is to some of my funny memories of you.