She is beautiful, kind, feisty, and courageous. She is called Mom, Nana, Friend, Auntie, and Sister. She is one of a kind, with her Irish brogue and her heart of gold. This is Meta, my beloved Mom, and the reason why I celebrate Mothers Day this Sunday. It is also Mom’s 85th birthday today, can you believe it looking at this picture taken 6 months ago?!  Mom is truly 85 years young, and I feel so very blessed to still have her with us. My Dad passed away 2 years ago from lung cancer and it was a devastating blow for our entire family, especially for Mom. They were married for over 60 years, had known each other for 64 years, and were the best of BFFs. They were truly 2 peas in a pod and did EVERYTHING together! As you can imagine, the first year after Dad’s passing was so incredibly painful; everything was a trigger, a memory, of what they had done or shared together. While the pain will always remain, I have noticed that Mom has become much stronger over this past year in her determination to get involved in activities, meet up with her friends, just like she used to do with Dad. I know that he is extremely proud of her, along with the rest of the family because of the tremendous progress she has made during these past several months. It is so good to see Mom joyfully  participating  in life once more, with her beautiful smile and energy that is so a part of who she is.

Mom loves being “Nana” to her 6 beautiful grandchildren. She has their pictures displayed throughout her home and loves to spend time with each one. Mom also happens to be Brian’s biggest fan! Her devotion to him and concern for everything that happens in his life, has always been the case since Brian’s birth. Brian is Nana’s “wee man”!  Mom will often say how Brian is such a special angel in our family. She has treasured the visits to his school on Special Persons Day and marvels at his progress overall. Mom will cheer Jim and I on too, always telling us how we are such great parents, how proud she is and how much she loves us. No matter how old you are, it’s always wonderful  to hear compliments from your Mom.

I  enjoy our daily conversations and we usually get together a few days a week. I’ll take Mom to medical appointments, church, or shopping while Brian is in school and we’ll often have lunch afterwards. We laugh, cry, and sigh together. We bounce ideas off of one another. I often seek her listening ear and wise counsel when it comes to life’s challenges. I treasure her “Hello Love”, when she hears my voice on the phone. I love creating these wonderful memories with Mom, it’s the stuff that a good life is truly made of.

So, it’s a double blessing of Mom’s  birthday and Mothers Day that we honor and celebrate this weekend! Thank you, Mom, for showing me by your example what it takes to be a good Mom. You are a marvel who inspires your family with your moxie and deep faith. You mean the world to me and I love you with all of my heart. ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Happy Mothers Day to all!

Until we meet again, thanks for reading. 🙂