Day 200 The Perfect Mom Project

Today is my Mom's birthday; she would have been 73 today. I bought a cake yesterday that we will share after dinner tonight in memory of my Mom, my Mom loved cake and she loved ice cream. I also love cake and I know Ashleigh does too. When I was a young woman I was home from out west visiting my Mom, and I remember us at dinner time setting a chocolate Pepperidge Farm cake in the middle of the table and each of us going at it from opposite sides. I never thought it was unusual or even crazy; it was just all part of my life with my Mom. At our house I always allow the girls to have some of their birthday cake for breakfast the day after their birthday. It has always felt like the right thing to do. It helps extend the birthday a little longer and for me (with my love of cake) it is a shot at another piece of cake. Supposedly when you sleep with a piece of wedding cake under your pillow, it will bring you good luck. It makes sense to me that eating a piece of birthday cake the day after your birthday would also bring you good luck.

 Yesterday afternoon, the girls and I stopped at the florist and purchased some daisies. Daisies were my Mom's favorite flower. I have decided that I would like to remember the things about her that made her special. My Mom had a quirky sense of humor, thinking back I remember that my Granddaddy and his three sisters were also very humorous and I am sure that my Mom learned this gift of humor from him. I sometimes see little slices of her humor in my girls. To me the gift of laughter is a great gift, and if she gave me nothing else, she taught me to laugh at myself and find the funny in life.

 Today, I plan to remember her as she was before the Alzheimer's disease took her over. I am not going to allow her end to color who she was in life. Even weeks before she died, while Ashleigh and I were visiting her, I remember laughing through the whole visit at the things she was saying and doing, and I also remember her delight when we brought her a cake. At one point when I was not feeding her fast enough, she almost fell out of her chair leaning over to grab the cake from me. I have heard many times that time heals all wounds, and I am starting to believe that this is true. By the grace of God, I am able to remember my Mom for who she was and the memories of our struggles are starting to dim.

 Today, the sun is out and they are saying it might hit 60 degrees. This would have delighted my Mom, (Miss Mari) she loved warm days too. It is almost as if she might have had a hand in planning the day. As I gaze at my daisies and look out at the sun, I find myself looking forward to tonight… because there is cake to be had!!
Happy Birthday Mom, You will live on in our hearts and humor.