Sunday, December 13, 2009

Mom Steps into the Spotlight

My dad was a very dynamic person and life swirled around him. My mom was happy to let him be in the center of it all.

When he died, she had to step into the spotlight.

These past twelve years have been a gift of getting to know my mom as a person. She has always been an amazing mom but I learned things about her life that I wouldn’t have know if dad had still alive.

I have learned many life lessons from her, too. She is one strong woman and I am thrilled to have those genes in me!

The most important thing I have learned is that you have to adjust and keep growing and learning. She had a choice after dad died. She could have fallen into depression and waited to join my dad. Instead, she created a new life.

She learned to play bridge and plays with three different groups. She studied and became a docent at a Victorian Mansion in her town. She continues to volunteer at the hospital. She made friends with many women but became buddies with three of them. They are her dear friends. They are her new life. I can never thank them enough as they continue to give her a reason for getting up in the morning.

She is independent and the thought of living with her children is intolerable. She also will not allow a housekeeper in her house. It would bug her. Bugging her keeps her active. If the garden has a few leaves, it bugs her. She gets out there and works, whether she feels like it or not.

I am the same way.

All my life I thought that I was so much like my dad. I have learned in recent years that I am thrilled to be even a little bit like my mom. She is amazing.

Next: Adjusting for Christmas

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