Mom's Birthday

Mom's birthday. Yesterday was my Mom's birthday. She would have been eighty seven.  The last birthday she celebrated was her fiftieth. It was soon after that she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She waited until a few days after my youngest sister's birthday to have surgery. She passed away three months later. Although I was the oldest of six children and had known her the longest, her death was devastating. It happened during my first year to teach. She never had a chance to visit my first classroom, was not present at my wedding or there for the birth of my child. It was not until my own daughter was in her twenties that I realized that I had pretty much solved every problem I had in my young adult years on my own. I did not have a mother to turn to for advice. The interesting thing about losing your mother at a relatively young age is that you never really get to see her age. Several years ago I was around some older women from my church and it hit me that they were the same age as my Mom. I had never really thought about her as old. It was a strange feeling. Losing my mother taught me that we are not exempt from tragedy. Up until that point in my life nothing of any real consequence had ever happened to me. The other lesson I learned was that we can make it through the tough times. God seems to have a way of sending just the right people into your life to see you through. For me it was my best friend and roommate who was there to listen to me time and time again. She never seemed to tire of being there for me. What a blessing she was and still remains to be today. Happy Birthday Mom!