Happy Mother's Day

This is me with three of my favorite people in the whole world. My mom, my grandmother, and my great grandmother. Today, on Mother's Day, I can't help but think about them. Of course I am thinking about my mom. I was fortunate enough to spend the majority of the day with her. But I lost my grandmother when I was 11 and my great grandmother when I was 14. But even having lived more than half of my life with out them they still have an enormous influence on my life and how I choose to live it. They all, including my mom, are strong, brave women. I hope that some of that is in my genes.

My grandmother is my greatest hero. She was the kind of human being that I strive to be. She faced obstacles in her life that could have destroyed some people. But she chose the path of grace, hope, and kindness. In the most difficult times I never heard her complain. I have fabulous memories of my time with her...my favorite being lying in bed at night watching the Odd Couple and The Carol Burnett Show and laughing together. She was in a wheel chair with MS, completely paralyzed for most of my life - but she still had a regal, graceful quality about her that I find amazing now.

My great grandmother is one of the greatest loves of my life. Not a single day goes by that I don't miss her and wish, sometimes irrationally, that she was here with me. Even though we had a 70-some odd age difference I felt like she understood me like no one else. I felt like she was my greatest champion, I still feel that way. Some days I would give nearly anything for one more minute with her.

My mom is quite possibly the best mom ever. She lost her father when she was only five years old and then had to care for her mother (my grandmother) when she was diagnosed with MS when my mom was very young. As a single mother she did EVERYTHING to make the right choices for me. Looking back I can see that it must have been painfully difficult - but she never let me know. As a child I never knew how poor we were, and it's not that she spoiled me with things. She just never let me see her worry, she let me be a kid. She never talked badly about my father after their divorce (I will be grateful to her for that for my whole life). She protected me, she gave me morals and manners, she was a wonderful role model, and she loved me. And now, as adults, we are so close. We laugh all the time. And I tell her all of the time how grateful I am for the sacrifices she made for me, for the choices she made for our lives.

I was a crazy lucky kid.