Everybody has one.

I miss my Mom. I really do. She died in September. I turned around, and she was gone.

In some ways, she had left a long time ago. She had dementia. So, for a lot of years, she really was not her self. Even still, much of her remained there, right under the surface.

Even though she was pretty old when she passed, it did not make it any easier. After my Dad died in 2013, I would spend time with my Mom every day. She lived out here in Eaton, in Greenbriar Nursing Center.

Yes, she was getting up there in years. She would ask me how old I was. When I told her… “Mom, I’m 52.”
She would respond, “Well, hell. Then how old does that make me?”
“Mom, you are 93.”
“Well hells-bells. I should be dying anytime soon now.”

And one day she did.

Mary & I had planned a vacation to Europe. I did not tell Mom I was leaving. Her sense of time had become very skewed and sideways. So the day before I left, I kissed her on the cheek, and told her I would be right back.

I did not get back in time.

Yep. I miss my Mom. And I miss my Dad too.

They were wonderful parents. No one is perfect, but my Mom and Dad were kind, and loving, and caring, and safe.

But here it is, Mother’s Day.

Being a Mom is not an easy thing. By an course, or measure. There is SO very much that goes into being a mother. I mean, the list is endless.

Moms are selfless. They sacrifice, time, and time again. So very often, they put their needs to the side. Heck, all the way to the back of the bus. And they put the needs of their children up front and center.

Mothers are protectors. You will know this, if you’ve ever said anything derogatory about anyone’s son or daughter. Bet me. Yes, our mothers defend us, even when we don’t quite deserve it.

They teach. They shape. They guide. A mom works really hard to make sure we are facing the world with the skills we need. They prep us and prime us. They fill us with knowledge and nifty little tricks.

More than anything… they will love us unconditionally.

Yes. I give the highest praise to all the Mom’s out there. You deserve this holiday. You deserve this kind of a celebration every day of the year.

So thank you… ALL you Moms…. for being the most fearless of warriors, and the kindest of souls.
I love you all for that.

And tonight?

I go on.  Missing my Mom.

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Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie

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Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. Henry Ward Beecher

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Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you. Eileen Caddy

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