Monday Morning Coffee Talk

Good Monday morning! Thanks for all the well wishes. We are on the mend here and ready to send this virus out the door, as it has most certainly worn out its welcome. Note to Future Self: Avoid airline travel to overpopulated theme parks during the height of cold and flu season. In addition to the yuck I brought home, I did manage to get this, my new favorite coffee mug, so there's that. Mocha is a fan, too.

But enough about me! This post is all about my Mom. Tomorrow, this amazing, beautiful woman turns eighty-seven!

Isn't she beautiful? And for those who don't know her personally, she is as beautiful on the inside as well. Let me tell you a little about my mom, the most wonderful woman I will ever know. 

My Mom...

~ smiles all the time.

~ cared for my four sisters, our children, her husband, and her parents at some point in her Life.

~ never complains.

~ was called "Red" in high school and still is by some.

~ loves popcorn.

~ made me apple pies to take back to college every weekend.

~ welcomed all my friends into our home when I was young.

~ made hot cocoa and buttered toast on cold nights.

~colored her own hair.

~ drove a Jeep and sang along to our eight-track tapes.

~ stayed with me when my babies were born.

~ taught by example how to be a good mother.

~ has a beautiful singing voice.

~ loves patriotic music.

~ taught my children to love, be kind, and love life.

~is a devout Catholic and taught me to be, too.

~ loves Life.

Happy Birthday Mom!

You are the best.

I am thankful to my sister Margie, who calls me every day so I can talk with Mom. I am grateful that Mom knows me, my kids, and my husband, whom she calls "Mr. Wonderful." Alzheimer's is a wretched disease. They say it robs you of your loved one twice. I have chosen to accept this stupid disease and acknowledge it. I won't, however, allow it to win. I won't allow it to diminish my time with my mom. I listen to her and respond to her wherever she is in her mind. I don't correct her. I don't remind her. When she tells me she saw her mother today, I tell her I am glad. And I am. When she asks where her husband is, I tell her he is at work and is feeling fine. I try to remember that long before she was my mom, she was a granddaughter, a daughter, a friend, and a sister. Her heart and mind are filled with memories of time spent with those loved ones. Being with them now makes her happy and brings her peace. I celebrate that with her. I talk to her on the phone and visit when we can. I am so thankful to my sisters and the loving, caring people who care for her in the same place where, one day years ago, my mom visited her parents. I suppose that is the circle of life, and I embrace every moment. As Mom always sings, "... Life is but a dream. "

Have a wonderful Monday, my friends.

Stay cozy!

Billie Jo