Life Lessons learned from My Mom

As I sit here today- in shorts and a tank top with my AC on, I think of April 27 1996- it was cold damp and a constant drizzle that day. Why do I remember the weather from 13 yrs ago. Easy- Today is the day my Mom passed away in 1996. She was 55 when she died.

In March of 96 she was diagnosised with Multiple Mylomia which is a rare blood born cancer. Less then 6 weeks later she was gone.

In those last few weeks she enparted several incredible life lessons- I have decided to share a few of those with you.

Life Lesson #1-
My Mom had never ever watched the news or read a news paper- she didnt even like them in the house. She choose instead to read things like the National Equirer , the globe, the star, ect- Trash magazines we used to call them. It was during those last weeks of her life that I began to understand why. As Mom grow to weak to read herself I would read her this magazines- and she would laugh and laugh- there was one day she and I were both laughing so hard we had tears rolling down our faces, and our sides were hurting from laughing so hard. She told me that- to find something everyday to laugh about.....

Life Lesson #2-
Mom was wasting away quickly and couldnt eat, the doctors had suggested giving her ensure to drink- well she hated the taste of it- so I began making her a special milkshake everyday- 2 scoops of vanilla Ice cream, a packet of Carnation instant breakfast mix, a can of ensure, a cup of cold milk and several sqirts of hersery's chocolate syrup- all in the blender- then served to her in a big glass with a bendy straw. It would take her hours to drink this - but she liked it and would drink the whole thing. I was working from 11 pm till 7 AM and would frequently get home as my Dad was leaving so that I could take care of Mom all day. One particular Saturday morning- Dad was home and told me to just go to bed and he would care for Mom that day. I offered to make her my special shake before I went to sleep. He told me no that was ridiculous and that all he needed to do was tell my mother to drink the ensure.... I had barely gotten into my PJs when I heard Glass shattered in my Mom's room. I walked in to find Dad and the wall behind him covered in Ensure and glass all over the floor. Once I had made Mom her special shake and brought it to her- she told me- NEVER Ever assume you can changes someones mind on something they do not want.

Life Lesson #3
On Valentines night 1984- while crossing Reisterstown Road after work- I was hit by a buick- My then 18 yr old Brother was one of the witnesses to the accident. He scooped me up off the street- called for help, etc- once I was safely on my way to the hosptial he went to find my parents who were out to dinner for Valentine's day (long before cell phones) He found them finishing dinner- Dad took my brother's car (Dad always thought he was the move level headed parent) and raced to the hospital- leaving my brother to take care of my Mom and the valet with Dad's car. Once in the car My Mom asked my brother " What underwear did your sister have on", My brother's response was I dont think it matters- they shredded her clothes at the scene. Once in the ER My Mom was obsessed with finding out if my contacts were still in my eyes. It was during those last weeks of her life that I finally found the courage to ask her why she had been so worried about contacts and underwear... She told me that she always worried about the small details because God took care of the big ones..

Just a few of the many lessons I learned from my Mom. For those of you that read this blog that knew my Mom please feel free to share your own stories of her. She would be tickled.

For those of you that didnt know my Mom- she was an amazingly strong, determined, loving and funny women.

To honor her today- I took flower and a national Enquirer to her grave and left them for her.