to mom, with love

In writing the perfect blog post, there are always a few throwback staples on which I rely: music, entertainment (i.e. television, movies, and especially celebrity gossip, because we’re all lying to ourselves if we don’t admit that Lindsay Lohan’s mug shot equates to entertainment at its finest), rambling (as just witnessed), and lists.

However, a true synthesis of these elements provides for a truly mind-blowing experience. The perfect blog post (at least a blog post by me) mixes all of these elements just right, not rambling too much or referencing vague things that only I would understand too often (because it's okay to do it once in a while), therefore totally robbing the post of its personal quality. Indeed, the best blog post is one that everyone can understand.

And so, as I embark on my first blog post in a few months, I do so with a specific purpose in mind. Today (actually tomorrow) is Mother’s Day, which means that, for an entire twenty-four hours, the whole world worships the mother. Now, I’m really not one to worship, but I do think that gratitude is one of the most important things in life (hey, that’s something we have in common, Mom!). So, in keeping in line with the whole best blog elements thing, I’ve decided to make a list—my top 10 reasons why I love my mother, in hopes of sparing the cheese and the corn.

10. She lets me make all the Thanksgiving desserts. It should also be noted that she allows me to make desserts on several other occasions throughout the year. We’ve made a mutual decision to open a specialty foods store later in life. Hopefully, we will meet Ina Garten (or be invited to one of her parties, which might be better).

9. She understands my love (okay, passion) for celebrity gossip magazines and always nods her head when I go on and on about how Angelina Jolie is a homewrecker and Jennifer Aniston deserves someone so much better than Brad. And not only does she understand my love for such magazines, but she also seems to willingly support it. We both know it’s trash, but who can resist trash this good? (P.S. You all know the Angelina Jolie thing is true. Admit it.)

8. She puts up with my driving. I’m not a bad driver, but I can see the stress in her eyes, and I really do appreciate her for taking one for the team and embarking with me on my journey toward licensehood. She’s also done a heck of a job, too. I no longer make her feel as if she’s about to collide with a mailbox. And I've also managed to figure out how to maneuver up and down our driveway!

7. She goes with me on trips to Chicago and New York and always compliments me for being a good travel buddy and (something much more important for me, as it’s something I take pride in) for being an excellent food orderer in restaurants.

6. She dresses well. This is only number six on the list, but, believe me, it’s important.

5. She helps me with my math homework. Oh, God, there have been too many math problems over the years, yet she always conquers each with authority and a penned drawing. Here’s to AP Calculus and AP Stat in the coming years! (Also, I do appreciate your help on reading my writing over the past few years. I may not have always made it clear, but it really did make a difference. (And, again, here’s to AP Lang and AP Lit in the coming years!))

4. She likes the same television shows as I do, yet she accepts that I enjoy indulging in the occasional trashy one. I’ll never let her forget that I introduced her to The OC, and for that she should be eternally grateful. However, she also understands that a little Real World never hurt anyone (theoretically).

3. She lets me listen to good music and willingly seeks my opinion on musical matters. This also makes me feel important. For commentary, a little shuffle!
- "You Got Me All Wrong" by Dios Malos. Oh, wow, one of the best and most underrated songs ever on The OC. Came in a truly haunting episode, and if I go any further, I might be going into the incomprehensible vague reference area.
- "We Will Become Silhouettes" by The Shins. As much as I love The Shins, The Postal Service just do it better. Although, I’m really enjoying how this is going in the usual route of a shuffle: OC song, cover, etc. Next, I’ll be dealt a truly embarrassing song. And, play!
- "Summergirls" by LFO. Oh my God! This is seriously no joke. I did not edit this at all. This song really came up! Oh, wow, this has never happened before. I can’t believe this. Whoa. The Apple gods must really be messing with me. I remember when Katie used to play this song every single morning when she woke up. (Mind you, this was when she was in the sixth grade and this song was the utter definition of cool.) That’s right, every morning we’d wake up to “New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits / Chinese food makes me sick….” Wow, I still can’t believe this. Of all the songs on my iPod, too, this is the most embarrassing. What a magnificent sampling! (This is all extremely honest, too. No sarcasm in the above paragraph.)
- "Life Is a Song" by Patrick Park. I’m sorry, but has my iPod gone totally crazy or is it just me? A sampling of the best songs on my iPod. And, this is also no joke, I was going to write (in the commentary about the Shins song) that there’d be a Patrick Park song, too. This is so unbelievably crazy that I’m going to go out on a limb and say that it won’t last too long. Next song is going to be really, really bad.
- :Breathe (2 AM)" by Anna Nalick. Half-true.

2. She puts up and goes along with my obsessed vents over things like The OC, Gossip Girl, Juno, and Across the Universe. This is incredibly important, because we all want people to make it seem like what we have to say is really important and that they’re also really interested in our meaningless babble. The insertions of head nods and “I know, right”s in the proper places are key.

1. She has the hugest smile ever. And she always makes me take the long-arm shot.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! If you’re crying, I hope it’s because you’re laughing so hard from my incredible wit and humor. Love, Sara