Today is November the 11th. We are in Memphis, TN. We have been on this incredible journey for almost five months now. It’s funny. I am so accustomed to our lifestyle right now that I sometimes think, it’s not so special. We’re just traveling around the US in our motorhome. And not getting to see our family and friends on a regular (sometimes even daily) basis like when we were home. I don’t miss my house, the closets full of clothes, the cabinets full of “stuff”. I miss the people.
Today I miss my mom. She would have been our biggest cheerleader on this journey. She would have been over the moon about Lexi learning to ride her first bike. She would have shown the pictures of the girls climbing mountains to all of her friends. She would be thrilled with their school progress and excited about all their opportunities to grow and learn.
Learning about Elvis Presley is what her grandchildren are doing today. The grandchildren that she never got to meet. The grandchildren I know she loves and is extremely proud of. It is so fitting that we are going to tour Graceland today, on her birthday. She was, like most other girls of that time, a huge fan.
So we’ll tour Graceland. We’ll take the girls on the private planes owned by Elvis. The girls will smile for countless photos by Elvis cutouts. We’ll do all the cheesy Elvis stuff we can find. In addition, we’ll watch yet another Elvis movie and I’ll think of my mom.
We didn’t plan to be here on mom’s birthday. It just worked out that way. Like the rest of this trip, it has just fallen into place. Finally, when the kids are all in bed, exhausted from all the Elvis-ing, Jeff and I will have a drink to toast mom. Canadian Club and 7-up (sorry Denise has to see those names in print). Nancy Trumbo. Probably the only woman strong enough to survive me as a teenager. I know she’ll be smiling all day as we see thin Elvis, fat Elvis and sit in pink Cadillacs, just as she smiles so much as she travels with us (in spirit) on this unbelievable, Ginormous RV Palooza.
