Everyone thinks they have THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD…but I
really do and I’m not just saying this to ensure that my welcome home meal is
off the chain delicious…oh, it will be, because my mom is also THE BEST COOK IN
THE WORLD. Wow, am I lucky or what?!
So, month 2, Cambodia.
I am currently a week into my ninth month and as I reflect on the months
that have passed, Cambodia is still one of my favorites. My sweet momma added to its glimmer.
Cambodia was H-O-T and my team was sent out to a remote
village called Chiso about an hour and a half (an hour depending on the driver
of the day) from the capitol city of Phnom Penh. We stayed in the attic apartment of a local
pastor’s home and we walked about a mile each day to work at Teen Challenge. We were finally stripped of the amenities of
city life and thrown into what we had expected of The World Race: heat, dirt,
bucket showers & rice. That attic
was hot and still, but I loved it. I
loved it a little more the first week when we had a fan, but then it
disappeared. I realized quickly in the
month that I had packed some totally unnecessary items and not near enough
essentials like white t-shirts, leggings, Clif bars and peanut butter. In fact, I packed zero Clif bars and zero
peanut butter. I was obviously not
thinking clearly while packing. Fail. I was struggling. Woe is me, huh? I didn’t have any shirts, stretchy pants, or
my protein of choice. But, I did have 4
pairs of shoes. Unnecessary.
So, what’d I do? I
told my mom. In my defense, she asked.
You know what that sweet lady did? She got the address for a post office in
Phnom Penh and she mailed me a package.
The fiasco that unfolded to receive said package is a story for another
day, but I will say that it is a sheer miracle that I ever got my paws on the
greatest 5 lb box of my life. Friends,
ladies, mothers…let me tell you this…no matter what your child says or how cool
they try to act, or how old they are (32 is still very young in my opinion)
they will NEVER EVER outgrow the feeling of absolute excitement that a care
package from their mom creates. I waited
weeks to get into town to get that package and I ripped it open before the
rickshaw driver even began to peddle.
Inside that glorious box was the most intricately packed puzzle of
awesomeness! Seriously, my Tetrus skills
are hereditary. It was giant genie in an itty bitty bottle impressive. I don’t think she could have gotten even a
pebble (who says pebble…ever?) more in there.
Let me just share with you what she fit into a small ground postal
box. You know the one. The one that you pack so full that it rounds
on all sides because you are not willing to pay 5-10 bucks more to comfortably
pack your shipment so you jimmy it into that smallest box to save some bucks
and then unload an entire roll of boxing tape to ensure that it doesn’t explode
like a jack in the box. Then you grab
your Sharpie and write FRAGILE (which is not Italian) on every side because you
will be so upset if the contents somehow arrive damaged. When it finally gets there it takes the
recipient the next month and a half to cut through all that tape. We’ve all done it, and I totally support
that. But, more impressive, her box
wasn’t rounded. It was…well, it was just
perfect. The contents were:
- ·20 granola bars, half of which were Clif
Bars. Dang, she’s good.
- ·6 V-neck white tees. Back in business!
- ·
Valentine almonds. Month 2 was February so I knew there’d be
some V-day treats. Fist pump!
- ·Those yucky candy hearts that despite their
chalky taste you buy every single year hoping that this will be the year that
you enjoy them, but know deep down it’s really those profound love messages
that prompt the purchase. They still
taste like chalk, but are fun nonetheless and Steven Chun was the lucky
recipient of that bag of goodies. He
said a big thanks, Mom!
- The biggest jar of Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut
Butter that Wal-Mart sells. Sweet Jesus,
she’s a dream!
- ·Craisins.
The combination of these with a spoonful of PB was pretty much a party
on my palate. It really is the little
things, friends.
- 2 pair of leggings.
-
A Valentine Card along with homemade Valentine’s
cards and encouraging notes from all of her friends at work. She truly is the craftiest in the
family. She’d say me, but I’d say
“compared to whaaat?” -that’s a quote from Marcel the Shell. Youtube it because it’s precious and funny.
- ·
Blank Valentine cards for the kids we were
working with. Is she adorable or what?
- ·
2 long skirts for those cultures that consider
the knee a scandalous body part. Boobs
blaring are a-ok but those knees…you have to keep those things under wraps.
- ·2 coordinating shirts to match the skirts. I think they both came from the Baby Gap
though because I have a short torso and still couldn’t wear them. Sorry, Mom.
I know this is news to you, but I did give them to some needy gals so
that’s good. They were so happy to get
them. It was meant to be. Yay.
It really was a magical package, a true gift from the
heart. And to top it all off, she washed
the clothes before rolling and rubber
banding them to maximize space and they smelled like…home. It was perfect. And honestly, probably my favorite part next
to the PB. At that point, I hadn’t
realized that I was missing my family.
Something as simple as the smell of clean laundry for a moment
transported me to my parents’ cozy little house tucked away in a small town
outside of Birmingham, AL. I buried my face in those shirts, breathed in that
fresh clean scent, closed my eyes and smiled.
And then I dove into the Jif! Thank you, Mom, for sending me home. You made my day. You have been sending me care packages since
the very first summer camp I attended in elementary school and to this day I
get just as excited as I did all those years ago. Thank you for all of the thought you put
into the gifts that you give.
And I repeat…friends, ladies, mothers…your children will
never outgrow the joy that a care package from Mom brings. You offer comfort even if they are 30
thousand km (see, so euro!) away. So,
hit that Target $1 aisle, there are smiles waiting to unwrap your goodies.
Isaiah 66:13 says “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort
you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
To all of the mothers, you are blessing to your children even
if they fail to remind you of that. I
don’t tell my mom near enough, but I will.
You can put a stamp on that and mail it!
In other words, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it. I was trying to stick to the whole “postage”
theme. Crash landing. And,
this is where I call it a day on this flog.
Love you, Momma.
Peace,
k
