We laughed, cried, shared funny stories. We didn’t just have a day we made a weekend of it complete with tiaras, wished for foods, special drinks and a movie mom had never seen – Harry Potter lol. It was her birthday yesterday. 88 years old. Her second one with out dad. Saturday it had been one year since dad had passed so, we pulled out all the stops to try to make it a good few days of celebrating the life and times of Mom. We pulled it off for the most part.
I have come to realize these days are really about making it count. Taking the time to hear, to see, to be in the moment. It is a sad reality that mom is tired of being here. She wants to go home. I get it. I don’t really like to hear it, but I get it. So , it is my mission to make each day its best. I want each day to be about something. Something old we share, or something new to experience or explore. We take for granted that tomorrow will arrive. The sun will rise bringing with it an explosion of color and the the tweeting of birds or squirrels chasing each other in the trees. Truth is I do not know when she will have her last morning, none of us really know when we will not rise to greet the day. I feel an advantage in knowing she doesn’t want to have too many more.
So we made this weekend all about Mom. Joked that the entire county shut down in honor of her birthday , it fell on labor day this year lol. Mom was like wow but then remembered it was a holiday. We filled the days with what she wanted, gave her a tiara to wear because a lady should not be without her tiara on special occasions, and we spent the weekend together doing what she wanted.
I value time more now. It has become more important to us not to squander our moments, not to take for granted that tomorrow will be time enough to do or say whatever. We have learned that life changes in the blink of an eye. The old saying here today gone tomorrow carries more weight.
Live stronger, hug harder, laugh more, and strive to make each day worth remembering.
Life with mom ….
My mother myself 