My Mom's Birthday

The Four Sisters Farm family gathered to honor my mom the night before her birthday...she is shown here with 10 of our grandchildren (the three babies were with their mommies)...she and Dad have 19 great-grandchildren now (number 20 is due this fall via a sweet niece of mine).  I won't divulge the number of birthdays my mom has celebrated because you would never guess how old she is by looking (good genetics is the only explanation I have)...but I have to tell you how grateful I am for her.

I am grateful that God gave her to me as my mother. I am grateful that she is still here on this earth.  She is one of the most positive thinkers I have known in my life and she raised her children to look for the good in people and things.  "Every cloud has a silver lining!" "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!"   "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar!" (I am still trying to figure out why I would want to catch flies but you get the idea.

You see, my mom has been ill since her childhood.  She has a condition called bronchiectasis which was finally diagnosed after years of suffering from serious "colds" and fatigue among other things.  When I was small, she underwent two separate surgeries to remove 2/3 of one lung and 1/3 of the other.  As I grew up, the only tell-tale signs of her illness were the wide scars on her back and a distinctive cough.  As time and each respiratory infection she battles take their toll on her, she relies more on medication and breathing treatments.  It won't get better.  It will get worse.

From what I know, she never gave way to fear and didn't feel sorry for herself.  She just took the lemons life had handed her and made lemonade.  She refuses to be a victim.  The prognosis given to her after her surgeries was that she probably would be fortunate to live to be forty years old.

I told you I wouldn't tell you her age but I will tell you that she still has my dad (you know that I am over 50, right?).  She has five children, 12 grandchildren, and 19 great-grandchildren (with another one due soon) and is enjoying life.  She retired several years ago and is loving the time she has now to spend with Dad, to quilt, and participate in Bible studies and community events.  She is a rock.  She is often the voice of reason that resounds in my head.  She is a magnificent role model for me, my siblings, my children and grandchildren, and so many others.

I love her so much.  I hope she celebrates a whole bunch more birthdays.  I thank God for my Mom, today and always.