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So I am running it again this year. In celebration of my Mom's 82nd birthday.
Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you!
She was a "working girl" for 56 years.
She raised three children over the course of 38 years. She had a son in college and a daughter in kindergarten in 1973.
We all three graduated from college - and paid for it with scholarships, grants and student loans. (Where there's a will, there's a way. She taught us that, too.) I think she would say it is a small miracle her daughter has a diploma to hang on the wall. It was touch-and-go more than once.
She has eight grandchildren (the oldest is 30 and the youngest is 3) and one great-grandchild who is 2 months old.
She is my role model as a working mom, and she was a single parent for most of my formative years. She worked hard and she worked every day. She had a full-time job and usually two part-time jobs. We never lacked for anything.
I always knew she did the best she could, and it was always more than enough for me.
I stayed out of trouble not because of what I thought might happen to me, but because I didn't want to do anything that would dishonor her. And I think my brothers would say the same thing.
Her first choice in discipline was the look and a firm, "Because I said so." If that didn't work, she got out The Stick. There was no need for anything further.
She was the first female school board member in my hometown, and the first female school board president.
A family friend used to say, "Your mother has an opinion about almost everything, and she's almost always right." I usually didn't appreciate that when I was growing up, but I sure do now!
She was always fashionable and very pretty. She wore Estee Lauder makeup, black suede boots with high heels, winter coats with fur collars, and lots of jewelry.
One day when she was about 75 she called me on the phone and said, "I think I've finally gotten a wrinkle."
She's still active and busy and sharp and witty!
We email almost daily. She gets her nails done a couple times a month. And she now has a Facebook account. I would love to believe a blog won't be far behind.
Oh, how I miss her...I wish I lived close enough so I could stop over for coffee on Saturday mornings and take little Adam with me so he could sit on her lap and give her a hug.
When I was seven my dad forgot to pick me up from Sunday School and I had to walk home on a cold winter's day. She wrapped me in a blanket and gave me M&Ms and held me on her lap. We had a good talk. I pretended I was cold long after I'd really warmed up because I wished I could sit on her lap forever.
Today I'd bring her an angel food cake & a vase filled with flowers. I'd kiss her on the cheek and take her out to lunch.
She's been my closest and most cherished sidekick longer than anyone else in my life.
I couldn't possibly ask for a better mom.
And I couldn't possibly love her more.
15 comments:
I bet your mom is as proud of you as you are of her...I hope she will read your post about her.
Beautifully said! My mom died when I was 18 and was sick for four years before that. I often think of her. She wore Estee Lauder, like your Mom. Now I do too!
Beautiful!
I remember tears coming last year when I read this and they are here again. I am close to my mom, but your relationship is amazing!! What a blessing!
Happy Birthday to your sweet mom! Love this beautiful tribute to her.
p.s. my mom is in her 70s and blogs...she loves it!
That's such a great post. My mom was the first female member of our school board and first female president, too! Although in my case, my mom was only 20 when I was born, so she was always really young and "cool". My friends used to think she was in her 20's when I was in high school (math, not their best subject obviously).
With those pictures it might be your browser. The rest of the pictures don't come up here at home but I can see them fine at the office. If you have a bunch of tiny x's that look like a grid under the main picture, click on the 2nd one in the third row and that's us.
That was wonderful!
Happy Birthday to your mom!
SOOO glad you had a copy of this and that you re-ran it for us. What a remarkable woman and so much explains the remarkable woman you have become, Jill. Brought tears to my eyes. You were blessed.
Susan
Sounds like a beautiful woman to emulate.
This is a beautiful tribute to your amazing mom. How very special.
Happy Birthday, Jill's Mom! God Bless!
Oh that was an awesome tribute to you Mother. It brought tears to my eyes. Happy Birthday Jillian's Mom!!
Yep, tears here, too! I could only hope for the same sentiments will come from Dear Bebe someday. What a wonderful set of memories of life with your Mom. I wish you lived near her, too!
Jillian
Happy Birthday to your mom. What a lovely tribute - she sounds like a wonderful person. Moms are the best.
Jillian, That was the sweetest post about your mom. I like the picture of her and your descriptions of the kind of woman she was and is. So neat!
This might come up twice as something strange just happened.
This is a wonderful tribute to your mother and goes a long way in explaining why you turned out to be the great wife and mother that you are. I hope that my daughter will say similar things about me one day.
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