You're The Meaning In My Life...You're My Inspiration!

Today is my Mother's last radiation treatment! Can I get a collective YES? Let me introduce you to this woman who is a constant source of inspiration to me....all her children, actually!

She was born on July 7, 1940 in Tulare, California. She is the oldest of 2...a big sister! Her birthday this year, her 67th, will be on 7/7/07...buy a lottery ticket, Ma! In 1963, she became a single Mom to my brother. She worked very hard to raise him to be a respectful human being and he is! She had my sister in 1968 and then I came along in 1970...the end of the line! She has lived in California, Hawaii, Arizona and then back to California. In fact, she lives just 5 minutes away from where she grew up! She was a military wife, providing daycare on the bases where we lived. She loves children and is happy that she has 13 grandchildren! What a lucky number! She has been married to my stepfather since 1977...still growing strong (que "Love Will Keep Us Together")!

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery earlier this year. There was never a sense of distress in her voice and her spirit could not be broken. She took the news like she takes everything...with an "I can get through this" attitude (que "I am Woman"). I probably took it harder than she did. To hear that the woman who gave birth to me and has provided me such great life lessons could ever possibly be ill or die, for that matter, was too much to take. Although I do understand that everyone eventually meets their maker and their time on earth will end...(que "Dust In The Wind") I guess you do not think of your parents as old enough to die.

So MOM....congratulations on making it through 6 weeks of radiation that tuckered you out. Take a long nap. I look forward to you telling my children that "Herman...had eaten them!". I look forward to you making them french toast from Hawaiian sweet bread and Christmas cookies. I love you. I love that you know who Oingo Boingo, Morrissey and Depechemode are, but you also know all the words to every song on the Oklahoma soundtrack. I love that your hair is that shiny silver, because it gives me hope with all my gray hair. I love that you can use words that nobody has ever heard before in a normal, everyday conversation. I love that you still sing songs out loud while driving (que "California Dreamin'"). I love you completely. I will not love you for as long as you live... I will love you for as long as I live!

Mirth & Merriment, People!!!