Happy Mother's Day to my Mom in heaven. She passed away in 2005 and not a day goes by that there isn't something that reminds me of her. If I'm having a particularly bad day, I just have to look at the picture of Mom and Dad and it seems to remind me of how much I was and am loved by them.
I really miss the heart to heart talks Mom and I used to have, how much fun she was to tease and to make her laugh. And her laugh was such a joyous thing that it always seemed like a gift whenever I heard it.
Mom always had strong opinions but she seemed to mellow some as she got older. There were times we disagreed about some things, but we settled into a pattern of agreeing to disagree and respecting each other's opinions. Not so much the case when I was in high school (I was wise beyond my years--or so I thought).
She was a great influence in my life. She taught me to care about everyone--young, old, all races, and all religions. Her basic belief was to treat others as you would treat yourself, no matter who that might be.
I'm not sure what she would think about the world we live in now. I think she would be shocked and dismayed at how selfish and self serving that a lot of people have become. There were a couple times, years ago, that she commented about maybe living too long to deal with changes that were happening in society. Hearing her say something like that made me panic a little bit inside. It may be selfish on my part, but I would give anything to have her in my life now.
Mom was such a wonderful example of what a person should be, and she lived her life loving and caring about all she came in contact with.
I strive every day to understand and accept people for who they are. Most of that open-mindedness is due to my Mom and Dad. I think it is one of the greatest gifts that she bestowed on me.
Love you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day!
