FOOD FOR THOUGHT
(05/10/2009)
MOMOPOLY
Cindy Hong
Dear
Mom,
For many years summertime meant tons
of television and games of monopoly, just as soon as we finished our custom-created-mom-assigned
homework for the day. Yet as I look back it seems Monopoly wasn't just
a board game that we played over and over again, but a window into my
life with you. Instead of traveling on the Pennsylvanian or Reading railroads,
you took us on the Greyhound bus instead. You didn't let Dad's work stand
in the way of us spending time with family. So when we lived in Chicago
, you loaded us on the bus to Detroit to visit Dad's mom. When we lived
in Detroit , you took us to Chicago to see your mom. When we moved to
St. Louis , we went to Chicago and Detroit to visit both grandmas. On
these long trips, we definitely “passed go” more times than I care
to remember. Even though Dad didn't make that much money in his first
couple of jobs, you still sacrificed your career to stay at home with
us. You wanted to build a home for us, rather than just a nice house—like
one of those houses in the Monopoly game, shiny on the outside but perhaps
hollow and empty on the inside. As Matthew and I battled it out for the
most Monopoly money, you reminded us that money isn't everything. God,
health, happiness, and love are things money can't buy, especially with
color-coded play money. As we traveled from Virginia Avenue to New York
Avenue, Illinois Avenue to North Carolina Avenue , you helped us adapt
to a new city and school and church, reminding us that God is always with
us. And now, even though we've spent more time apart in different cities
than together, you are still mom. You are always mom. You constantly pray
for me, cheer for me, and want the best for me. In the mom-market, you
have the monopoly on my heart.
Happy Mother's Day!
Me
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