“I’ll Always Love My Mama”

By TINA WILSON

Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me and my siblings.  Joyce Wilson was not only our mother, but she was also the neighborhood mom.  The woman who cooked for all, invited the most troubled kids into our home and made them feel special even if baffled and displeased her children at times. I remember when I was about twelve years old and I had a plethora of boys who would follow me home from school, tease me, pull my hair, not violently but in that adolescent “I have a crush on you” way; my mom thought she had a way to solve it.

I came home one afternoon to find one of my tormentors sitting in our living room with a big stupid grin on his face, and I was horrified, pissed off and confused, my mother on the other hand was quite pleased with herself.  I can’t remember the conversation if there even was one, but I remember the day like it was yesterday. What I do remember was I never had a problem with these boys after she invited them one by one into our home for a “chat”.

My mother wore simple house coats around the house and also to sleep.  They were made of various polyesters, from brushed back satin to a kind of brushed slightly fuzzy on one side and slick and not so nice on the other side fabric, which I cannot remember the name of. They were not that attractive, and they usually zipped and sometimes snapped but on her they were beautiful.  I wish I could see her in them now.Today’s mom has evolved, she would never be caught in the “dusters” my mom wore, oh they still exist but they are a tad modern, and the fabrics are a bit better, but the look is the pretty much the same. Whatever you may call them…dusters, housecoats, mumus, or schmattas, they are embedded in our society and that gives me comfort. Today’s mom might wear a caftan from WrapUp, they have many beautifully printed caftans and robes in an array of happy mood changing colors and prints…we all can use a mood changing mumu!Yes there is still that “I need something I can answer the door in” mantra, it re-emerged during Covid and all the deliveries but what is now acceptable has fewer limitations on modesty. So, for the sexier mom, no matter the age, I love the NKImode Silk Allegra chemise in lavender…it’s a beauty.

I just discovered Apilat (pictured at top) and OMG, the tulle, the embroidery, the feathers, everything necessary to make any mother feel like the queen that she is…. its probably a better gift from Dad…wink winkThere are so many brands that can fit the bill for moms and aunts and daughters alike, such as Natori, no one does simple beautiful fabrics in classic silhouettes like Josie Natori. Her Onsen Collection is my kind of lounge!I have a bit of a shirt fetish, whether it’s a button down or a popover. I have a fine collection of shirts, probably too many, so I fell in love with Aspen Dreams Dahlia Nightshirt, it has a hint of shirring at the sleeve as any self-respecting shirt does these days!I hope and pray that the fabric “corsage” trend is not just a phase, I LOVE THEM…. on everything.  What could be better than a flower pinned to your lapel, and SKIN is pinning one to your pajamas?  Genius…a gift with purchase that isn’t just a sock or a headband…I saw this at Curve Expo and was thrilled!

This is a tribute to Joyce Wilson and all the moms out there, nurturing, struggling, juggling, working and playing, I dedicate the song “I’ll Always Love My Mama” by the Intruders.

RIH Joyce!

Peace, and I really really mean that… Tina

See More Illustrations by Tina Wilson in The Gallery on Lingerie Briefs