Happy Mothers Day - Card

I skipped ahead and worked on a mother's day card the last day and a half. I realized it's not far off. Gosh, how time seems to fly.

The card was inspired by a childhood memory I have when I use to give my mother flowers that grew on our farm land. I am really please at the way it turned out.

Sadly, I won't be able to give one to my own mother who passed in 2005 on Valentines Day. I had the pleasure and opportunity to spend much time with her before she passed. I admired the courage she had in battling heart disease and emphysema. Not one complaint the whole time other than this statement " this is what they call the golden years" and then she would laugh.

As a child she had scarlet fever which cause damage to her main valve of her heart. In 1995 after retiring from a factory of 35 years as a meat cutter, she had open heart surgery to correct the valve. She made it through the surgery, but, within a two week stay she had two lung surgeries due to complications. I sat with her everyday till one day in Dec. 95 they took me and my sister out in the hall and told us to take her home, spend as much time as we could. I remember looking up at he doctor and saying are you saying what I think you are? He said yes, she didn't have much longer to live. Well, as I said earlier she passed in 2005, ten years after they told us she would pass soon. What a fighter at 80 lbs we took her home and day after day she just kept moving forward. The heart specialist said she was a fighter and a miracle.

I remember when I was growing up, especially as a teenager and into my twenties and so.... I didn't like her much blamed her for the way I turned out. I never told her which I am glad, but just as most children we complain about our childhood a lot. I remember one day after I married had two children and wasn't getting along with my husband. I went to my mother and began to talk about the situation here is what she said, You made your bed you ly in it, go home and fix your problem." I was so angry, I thought she was suppose to be there for me, listen and offer comfort. Boy, was I so wrong.

I have had some tough times over the years and there isn't a day that goes by I don't thank her. She taught me how to survive, to stand on my own two feet and that's a beautiful gift. She taught me how to keep standing no matter what life tossed my way. I smile everytime I think about her what a courag woman.

So in the end she ended up in the hospital Feb. 2005 she had, had a stroke one morning. I am a night person and in the course of the week as she laid in the hospital, I spent everynight with her holding her hand while playing glen miller music on a cd player (I have kept) till she passed the morning of Feb. 14, 2005 while my sister was there. She took the day shift. My sister called and said her blood pressure was dropping, I tried to get there but she passed just minutes before I arrived. We stayed in her room till they came and got her. Even in death she was beautiful.

I miss my mom and think about her a lot. She loved to laugh too. If I had one wish I would want to spend one more day sitting in her living room for a simple visit. I would love to hear her voice, see her face, and touch her one more time. Keeping laughing in heaven mom, I smile when I think of you both...I love you, always, always.

P.S. I cut a lock of her hair that week and keep in a very special place.