(Godbless her heart) has done some inadvertently funny things over the years.
Very innocent things that yielded great laughter from her children. But it's the naivitae that is the funny part -the good intention met with reality.
Let me explain.
I'll start by saying that the 80's were a memorable time for many. It was a hip and happening time. Michael Jackson's coat was a big item on the "got to have it" list. People were wearing bright colours, girls were wearing their dad's long sleeve shirts with the collars popped and fanny packs were ubiquitous.
Jump ahead roughly 20 years and it's Christmas time at the Samways household. Mom has spent the past 2 months carefully noticing/keeping an eye out for potential gifts for family and friends.
My Cousin Kim who is 20 something at the time as well as my girlfriend are pretty savy ladies when it comes to the high fashion. I would say they are high maintenance, but it's not entirely true.
They do however know what exactly is in style and are certainly a good representation of it. They are always seen wearing the cool sunglasses and wearing the latest accessories. They are stylish to say the very least. As to whether or not my Mother is aware of this is another thing.
My mother isn't interested in what's going on in Paris or Milan, nor does she care to be fitted in the latest couture garb. She doesn't follow the fashion magazines and why the hell would she? She my Mom and shes good at it!
I did expect her to be stylish when I was a silly pretentious little brat of 10 or 11. But certainly now I only expect her to be her. So when she gets gifts on Christmas, it involves thought and care and comes from the heart. She thinks about functionality and practicality - as do I - when she's seeking gifts for people.
She did however blow my mind when she told me what she had bought for my girlfriend and cousin.
I bust out laughing in front of my Mom, to her amazement. She was bewildered as to why I was dying from laughter right in front of her. And to her dismay I wouldn't tell her what was so funny.
I waited until my girlfriend came later that day and I told her. She had the same reaction, she immediately took with a fit of laughter. There was an airborne contagion because my Mom started to laugh as well - must be the pheromones.
Unfortunately she didn't know what was so funny, just simply that something was. Which was exacerbated by my laughing even harder at my Mother's innocence.
I guess all the years following the 80's and the fun we all made of ourselves and the styles we wore never occurred to my Mom. And definitely the fact that our fun making was concentrated on one item of the 80's in particular.
My sweet, sweet Mother in all her glory, practicality and wisdom had chosen a gift she was sure my girlfriend and cousin would cherish (I picked the word"cherish" purposely beacuse it was sung by Madonna in the 80's early 90's).
She had picked out a gift that had been very popular at one time, only this one was much better. It was made of pleather too which makes it even funnier. She had got them Fanny Packs.
