A mother-daughter relationship transformed through texting brings joy and connection.
Mother-daughter dynamics can be tough, and ours was no different. We could talk for hours, but it often ended in some kind of disagreement. If only we could keep it short and sweet! So, I decided to move away for a bit to find my own path.
After years apart, I came back home, and with that came family obligations and more phone calls with my mom. Then the pandemic hit, and I missed her more than ever. We started texting, which was something we rarely did before. It was a game changer.
At first, it was just simple check-ins like, “Doing OK?” I even sent her pictures of my foster kittens, and to my surprise, she loved it! She’d ask for more, saying, “Where are the grandkits?” It was adorable. Our texts became longer but still light-hearted. She even started using emojis!
These sweet exchanges were something I never expected from her, but they brought us closer. Texting made our conversations less intense, and I started looking forward to hearing from her. It really balanced our relationship and made me appreciate our longer talks even more.
Eventually, I wanted to spend more time with her in person, laughing and chatting. About a year after we started texting, things felt much better between us. But then, she got sick. I found myself calling her more often, and she seemed to tire easily.
I visited her for Father’s Day in 2022, bringing the kittens along. We had a lovely dinner and talked about everything under the sun. But the next day, I texted her, worried about how tired she seemed. I sent a cute picture of the kittens and said, “Same as it ever was…”
Her reply was, “Delicious as always.” That turned out to be our last text. She passed away a week later. Looking back at our messages, I felt so lucky to have those digital memories. They showed just how much she loved me. I’m grateful we had that last weekend together and all those texts that made our relationship so special.
