Thought I'd recognize the gifts our mothers, grandmothers and their mothers gave us--not only the ApoE 4 allele in some cases, but often the strength and courage to know that we have the ability to chart our own best course in life. So in honor of all mothers, I wanted to invite everyone to share a memory--a funny one, a poignant one, one that shows your mother or grandmother or terrific mother-in-law at her truest self, or just one you are thinking of today.
I'll start: when our active 5 year old son had heart surgery and was confined to a hospital bed for 9 days, my mother spent hours reading to him from books that kept him from thinking about the food he couldn't eat and the games he couldn't play. And it gave my husband and me a chance to get some sleep, some food and remember that we weren't in this alone. She showed me how to cope when the journey seems too hard.
Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
4/4 and still an optimist!
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
What a beautiful memory and tribute, NF52! I can't imagine how difficult that must have been for all of you. I'll go next. Today my heart is full of beautiful memories of my beloved grandmother "Josie." She died from Alzheimer's, this past autumn, one month shy of her 101st birthday. Throughout the course of her disease progression, she forgot so much of herself, her story, including Jesus and how to pray, but she never forgot me.
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Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
I'll go next. Today I remember my mother. She was the most beautiful and strong of all mothers.
When she was sick with cancer at 51 and saw me crying hiding in the bathroom, she came in and told me not to cry and please let her die because living in bed was not what she wanted after having been an active and vital woman. We looked at each other's eyes and shared the sweetest moment of our very short time on this plane together. She told me so much with her eyes. I was 20 years old.
Roxanne
When she was sick with cancer at 51 and saw me crying hiding in the bathroom, she came in and told me not to cry and please let her die because living in bed was not what she wanted after having been an active and vital woman. We looked at each other's eyes and shared the sweetest moment of our very short time on this plane together. She told me so much with her eyes. I was 20 years old.
Roxanne
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
Thank you Roxanne, for sharing such a powerful gift of shared love. I am so sorry that you only had 20 years with your mother, yet felt like I could hear her voice in those words.roxanne wrote:I'll go next. Today I remember my mother. She was the most beautiful and strong of all mothers.
When she was sick with cancer at 51 and saw me crying hiding in the bathroom, she came in and told me not to cry and please let her die because living in bed was not what she wanted after having been an active and vital woman. We looked at each other's eyes and shared the sweetest moment of our very short time on this plane together. She told me so much with her eyes. I was 20 years old.
Roxanne
4/4 and still an optimist!
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
Lovely to read those bittersweet posts. My mother is now 5 years into her dementia journey at age 79. My sister and I were blessed to still be able to take her out to lunch today. She was a wonderful mother to us, creating a haven of safety and joy in childhood.
I often remember her sitting by the bay in Rhode Island, feet up and relaxed, maybe an iced tea in hand. 100% happy and content, in the moment and enjoying life. I like to remember her vitality and joy in all of the wonderful parts of a well-lived life which were just as real as her current life. (which is ok too!)
I often remember her sitting by the bay in Rhode Island, feet up and relaxed, maybe an iced tea in hand. 100% happy and content, in the moment and enjoying life. I like to remember her vitality and joy in all of the wonderful parts of a well-lived life which were just as real as her current life. (which is ok too!)
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
Thanks, Chrissy! My mother also always enjoyed going out to lunch. Those moments are definitely still “okay” and memorable.chrissyr wrote:Lovely to read those bittersweet posts. My mother is now 5 years into her dementia journey at age 79. My sister and I were blessed to still be able to take her out to lunch today. She was a wonderful mother to us, creating a haven of safety and joy in childhood.
4/4 and still an optimist!
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
My mother died at age 68 following a stroke. We had our first child shortly after. I'm so sorry she didn't get to meet my children. I did see her interact and love my brother's children and I remember and can still feel her love for me. Thank you mom for all that love. This is the love I now pass on to my grandchildren. I'm 79 now and they are the highlight of my life!
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
NF52 I was not able, for some reason, to quote your comment to my post. I just want to say thank you for your lovely comment. I always read your responses , you are kind, sensitive and smart and always have a word of encouragement. You are on my list of people I so admire and one day I would like to meet you and have a glass of wine with you and talk, talk, talk.
Roxanne
Roxanne
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
Thank you for sharing the decades of love and memories of your mother. I am sure you are in turn a highlight of your grandchildren’s lives. (One of the happiest surprises of being a grandmother is just what a highlight it is!)rrmolo wrote:My mother died at age 68 following a stroke. We had our first child shortly after. I'm so sorry she didn't get to meet my children. I did see her interact and love my brother's children and I remember and can still feel her love for me. Thank you mom for all that love. This is the love I now pass on to my grandchildren. I'm 79 now and they are the highlight of my life!
4/4 and still an optimist!
Re: Happy's Mother's Day to all who had a mother
I'll go next. I always called my Mother the First Superwoman, because of all she accomplished, with little money and lots of hard times. My parents owned and operated a movie theatre in a small town. She worked there every single night and twice on Saturdays and Sundays plus doing the advertising and cleaning in the daytimes. Even so, she cooked big hearty meals for the seven of us, did the laundry out on the porch, pumping water from a cistern, heating it on a two-burner stove, then pouring it into the laundry tubs. Then hauling big heavy baskets of wet laundry out to four long clotheslines, even in freezing cold or melting heat. In harvest time, she would cook big dinners for all of us and the harvest crew, wash all the dishes in a house with no hot water tank (so boiling more water in high heat and humidity), then rushing downtown to help get the show ready. And that was all while she was canning and freezing the produce from a one acre garden! I could tell more but you have the picture now. She died at age 57, poisoned by a drug prescribed for my Dad, but which she thought helped her migraine headaches but which in fact, destroyed her white blood cells.
I love you, Mama, up there in your gilded boat, sailing between the stars and gazing at us through their windows.
I love you, Mama, up there in your gilded boat, sailing between the stars and gazing at us through their windows.