Honouring Mom

Emily and Grandma

Braden and Grandma

3 generations in Maui

Today is Mom's birthday.  She is 77. Mom is probably the youngest 77 year old I know. She knows how to have fun. She has enriched my life.  I'm pretty sure she has enriched the lives of everybody who knows her. I've only seen her mad once in my life; when I was growing up she got mad at a cat. I don't even remember what made her so mad, but I sure am fortunate that the ONLY time I have seen my mother mad had to do with a cat.

Mom is feisty.  She can speak her mind in such a way that you don't even know she is speaking her mind when she's doing it.

She loves to play bridge. I asked her once, a few years ago, what her passion in life was. I thought she might say, "oh, you kids"  or "my faith in the Lord", or "my husband".  But, no, she surprised me with her answer ~ "I'd have to say,"she said, "that my passion in life is bridge." I probably smirked at the time. I'm smirking now. And I am thankful for mom and her honesty.

Mom is always available, but never hovering.  I love that about her. I know that she would do anything for me, but she is not hovering, like some of my friends' moms are. She likes to know what's going on in my life, but she's not nosy.

Mom lives in a senior unit.  Shortly after Dad died, she decided that her driveway was just too long for her to shovel in the winter.  So, she sold her house, downsized, and moved into a senior unit. She had the ugly cabinets removed, designed a new and improved kitchen and had new cupboards installed. She wants linoleum, or laminate put in.  Mom thinks it would be a lot better for some of those seniors who have walkers to have lino instead of carpet.  It's cleaner than carpet.  And easier to keep clean. Mom is very practical. I think I inherited that trait from her. I'm thankful that I inherited 1 good thing from my mom - our practicality. I wish I would have inherited her slim physique, or her abililty to talk to anyone, or her independence.  But I didn't. I inherited practicality! My brothers inherited an ability to not only play bridge, but understand it too! Personally, I think "bridge" is a waste of time. I won't tell that to mom. She has developed very good friends who share the "bridge playing" passion. And I'm thankful for her friends.

Mom is going to be a great-grandma any day now. We're kind of hoping that my niece, Mom's granddaugher, will have her baby before the day is done. Mom thinks that would be kind of neat. My daughter was born on my dad's birthday, and "wouldn't it be something if my great-granddaugher would be born on my birthday?" said Mom just this morning as we chatted on the phone.

I talk to Mom every day. Sometimes twice a day.  Even 5 times a day. Whenever I think of something that I think would interest Mom I phone her.  She does the same. Sometimes I can't get a hold of her though.  She has a more active social life than I do. If she's not out playing bridge, she is either at exercise class or having coffee at coffee row with "the girls". And she goes to the library at least once a week.  And don't forget bingo on Monday nights.  She also likes to visit her friends.  She has many friends to visit.

We had a surprise birthday party for Mom 2 years ago. I thought 75 should be celebrated.  So I started planning a year prior. My brother from Ontario drove, through a snowstorm, to arrive here the night before her birthday.  She had no clue!  I love it when surprises work!  That afternoon, we had "grandma" downstairs playing on the wii, of all things. While she was busy dodging soccer balls, our upstairs was filling up with people who love Mom. When the house was full, we got her off the wii and brought her upstairs. She was very surprised and wished she would have put her partial in before she came out for brunch that morning. She never quit smiling that day!  I'm glad I did that for her!

I'm having her out tonight for her birthday.  My brother and his son are coming out, and my cousin is too!  I told Mom I was making baked beans for her. She was so happy and told me she wouldn't need a cake then!  When she was a little girl, she had a choice for her birthday - baked beans or a birthday cake - she chose the beans.  This year she is getting both!

Happy birthday Mom!!!