My mother and I have had something of a tempestuous relationship - it happens when you have two strong Irish-Italian women in one household. As I have gotten older, though, I have come to treasure her more and more; she means the world to me. She is my friend and confidant, cheerleader and hero; mother and guide.
When I was born, the doctors had no idea what was wrong with me. I was rushed into the ICU, and I was placed in an incubator. My parents were unable to hold me; in fact, all they could really touch was the little space between my eyebrows. The nights my mother stayed in the hospital - recovering - were difficult for her, because all of the other new mothers were holding their babies. She could not even be in the room with me. My mother told me how difficult that was and how much she cried. I was their miracle baby, but the doctors were not certain I would even survive.
Because of that experience, my mother has a very large soft spot for the song "Baby Mine" from Dumbo. In fact, watching Dumbo is the first memory I have of my mom crying - it makes her bawl like a baby. As I've grown up, I have come to realize that "Baby Mine" was how my mom felt about me during our hospital stay. For the eleven days I was in the hospital, my mom could not hold me - just touch a little bit of me and pray I would survive. Dumbo's mom goes through something very similar, and it resonates with the pain and sadness my mother felt.
I love my mother very much, and I am so glad to be her baby. Even with the rough patches we have gone through, she is always the first person to comfort me and the first person to cheer me on (usually by shoving Dad out of the way to do so). I am so blessed to have my Mommy mine.
