Today, September 5th, marks the eight year "anniversary" of my beloved mom's passing. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her. She was a lovely woman, all country; wore jeans all the time. :o) I don't ever recall her in a dress. LOL.
Although small in stature, she was large in life, love, and giving. She always gave infinitely more than she took. She was a GREAT mom--laughing and praising me when I did well, but not hesitating to put me in my place when I did wrong. She (and my dad, of course) raised me to work hard, be honest, never intentionally hurt anyone, and always give back as there are those less fortunate....but most importantly, she raised me to savor life and all it has to offer.....the good and the bad. New experiences were wondrous. She never knew a stranger and she possessed an uncanny natural ability to relate to people.
They say time heals all wounds. I guess that's true. While it gets more bearable, it NEVER gets easier. I would love to be able to tell her how much I love her again.....but, I guess, in some small way....I just did. She loved to laugh and make others laugh. She wasn't afraid to laugh at herself either. She was the mom of all mom's. She was tough, but fair. I drive by her gravesite fairly often and visit occasionally. Sometimes it's just too difficult to stop.
Mere words cannot express the depth of my love, gratitude, and respect I have for my mom. We have gotten to the point that we can talk about her with fond memories and laugh. But still, sorrow fills my heart, tears fill my eyes, and HOPE fills my soul that we will meet again someday.
I miss you mom. I will miss you until my final breath. Thank you for everything.
Much love on this very difficult day,
Richie.
I am grateful to have my dad still around to share more time, love, and laughs with. I cherish every moment I still have with him, whether it's playing euchre, talking on the phone, or arguing politics...LOL.
