80 and Awesome

Today my Mom celebrates her 80th birthday.

She is a great being. She lives alone, supports herself, and maintains a healthy and active lifestyle. She stocks her fridge with healthy ingredients, isn’t afraid to try that new recipe she carefully cut from Zoomer magazine, and always keeps the treat house fully stocked with goodies just in case. She has a great bunch of friends that she sips wine with, is an active participant of two book clubs, and attends women’s lunches and dinners, often times on her own. She walks to wherever she can, and if she can’t, she will park her car blocks away. We often tease her about this, but there is a method to her madness. She doesn’t have to deal with parallel parking, or parking fees, only has to make right hand turns, and besides, she doesn’t mind the extra few steps. Her zest for life never ceases to amaze me.

Our celebration today, a family brunch at The Elmhurst Inn, was perfect. Mom put on her fancy clothes for the occasion, she always looks so put together. She had her hair done perfectly, wore her special leaf necklace, and made sure she was picture perfect. Her cheeks were extra red, especially after enjoying her birthday martini, and her smile bright. She definitely deserves to be honoured in grandiose fashion, especially on this milestone birthday, and although today’s celebration was a small, intimate one, I could tell it made her 80th birthday complete.

My mom is the sweetest, most genuine, human I know. She has an extraordinarily warm and accepting heart, and those who know her would agree. She welcomes everyone into her home with a smile, and the offer of a bowl of ice cream. She is non-judgmental, and always looks at the positives. If you looked up “integrity” in the dictionary, my mom’s face would probably appear. Her sense of fairness and of always doing the right thing is one of her strongest attributes. She is always so full of love and so keen to make everyone around her as happy as possible. My middle son, Jacob, said to me today, “Today was awesome Mom. I love Grandma. I don’t think she is capable of being anything less than 90% sweet.”

A lot of people say that I am so much like my Mom. When I was a teenager, I would have cringed at that statement. I was my own person. I was rebellious. I wasn’t like my Mom. Now that I am older, I take that statement as a compliment. How lucky I would be if I could be even half of who my Mom is.

She is true example of commitment and loyalty. When my Dad became sick with cancer, she cared for him physically and mentally, staying by his side until he passed. What an incredibly stressful time that must have been for her. I know inside she must have been falling apart, but on the outside it never showed. She was so strong through it all. That was 15 years ago. The last thing my Dad said to me before he passed was “Take care of your Mom for me.” I promised to do just that.

Mom, today, on your 80th birthday, I promise to listen to you and be patient. (That comes easy. I get that from you). I promise to respect you. I promise to help you tackle any challenges that come your way. I promise to take care of you.

Thank you for being you, and for loving me through thick and thin. You truly a remarkable and special person, and I don’t just say that because you’re my mother!

Happy 80th! I love you!

Thanks for reading the weekly seed.

Laura