My Momma

I really need to write and dedicate a blog just for, and about my Momma!  She is a true treasure... and I'm sure all of you feel the same about your own Mother's too... but for today, for this one moment in time... this is for you Mom!!!  I will never begin to be able to tell you how much I love you, how proud of you I am, and how I strive everyday to be like you!  MUAH and HUGS!!!!

Where to begin actually is my first challenge... and with keeping in mind of my own age and memory challenges... I'll work my way backwards.  The reason I feel the need to honor my Mom with this blog is for the simple reason, that she is always, and will always be there for me no matter what the need.

Because of the many relocations we have had to make for Joe's job, I have been the stray sheep of my family since 1978 when I married.  In the beginning we were able to make the long haul home for holidays... then we had babies, then Joe's job required him to work on Thanksgiving and we were no longer able to drive home to join any family for Thanksgiving, so we only had each other to celebrate with.  That is when my Mom left her own Holiday tradition of being with her Mom, Sister/Family, my Brother/family to come be with me and my family so we would at least have some family with us to celebrate with.  She has been joining us for Thanksgiving ever since... which is now 16 years of celebrations together!  I'm VERY Thankful and Blessed!

Mom is involved in the serving needs of her church every single day.  She bakes for fund raisers; she makes meals to serve to the grieving, and/or sick; she works with her community ministering to those in need who have lost their homes to fires, floods, or loss of job; she cooks for Wednesday evening church services to provide meals to families who are too stressed, have no time to prepare a meal prior to church due to working, or who want the fellowship with their fellow church members so that everyone can have a hot meal and be able to attend Wednesday evening church services.  In other words... my Mom is VERY selfless, and is a VERY 'dedicated to helping others' kind of person.  She never puts herself, or her needs first, and she never has.  She would literally give the shirt off her back to anyone in need.

My Mom is all about her family... immediate and extended.  She took such sweet tender care of my Grandma for the past several years (all of my extended family helped take care of  Grandma, we all visited, we were all always there for her too... it's just that my Mom lived the closest and was able to be there the most often).  My Mom, her sister (Aunt Edie), and my Grandma were all a threesome of really good friends over and beyond being Mother and Daughters.  My Mom and Aunt continue to be the dearest of friends as well as the dearest of sisters.  My Mom spent sooo much time with my Grandma over her whole life, but especially the past 5 years, and she really misses her most during the holidays.

My Mom has had to overcome many tragic events in her life... yet she did so each time with all the strength she possessed.  These events have definitely left their scars, but she is still standing strong, and she is happier now than she has ever been, thanks to the wonderful love and kindness of her husband Caywood.  My mom birthed 3 children... yet only 2 of us are still alive.  My Mom married at the young age of 17... at the young age of 18, and 2 weeks before her first anniversary, she gave birth to my brother (Mike). At the young age of 20, and on her 3rd anniversary, she gave birth to me, and at the young age of 21, she gave birth to my sister (Paula).  Mom had female problems during all 3 deliveries and about lost her life with all 3 of us due to hemorrhaging.  Then horribly, when Mom was just 22 years old, my sister choked to death in my Father's arms, in our home from a kernel of popcorn, just 7 days before Christmas... Paula was only 22 months old.  That definitely has been the hardest tragic event she has had to deal with, and to this day, the Christmas Season brings her as much heartache as it does joy.  My Mom also had to deal with not one, but two divorces... but eventually, she did indeed find her Prince Charming.  And she has lost both her parents whom she was very close with as well.  But Mom is pretty resilient and keeps picking herself back up, finding more love and compassion for others along the way because of her own experiences.  My Mom has a very real sense of what is truly important, and how precious life can be.

Even tho I have lived far from home since the day I married, my Mom has been there by my side for every major event/crisis in my life, whether it be joyous weddings and births, through many a scary health crisis, or to attend my daughters sporting events, award ceremonies, graduations, etc.   She has come to stay with me, take care of me, and take care of my family when I was recouperating from surgeries and unable to do so for myself.  She has come to spend Holidays with me when we were all alone and far from home... and just this very week she again, came to spend the Thanksgiving Holiday with Joe and I, knowing we were not able to be with our girls or our grandbabies.

That's my Mom.... there may be a million of women out there who are just like my Mom... I sure hope so... and I hope I am one of those million of women too!  Our Mom's are dear to us for all our lives... I'm blessed beyond words to have one of those FABULOUSLY WONDERFUL Moms!  To me she is the Best of the Best!  I LOVE YOU BUNCHES MOM!!!!  Thank you again for being with us for another Thanksgiving Holiday!  HUGS and MUAH!