My mom was the toughest woman I have ever known. She survived breast cancer, being hit by a car, multiple strokes, multiple falls/broken bones and just kept going. She was also the hardest working person I have ever known. I learned from her an uber strong work ethic, lazer focused determination, and an insane level of thriftiness. At one point mom worked three jobs just to make ends meet and yet she still managed to get Eddie and I to our baseball and softball practice from time to time. I guess I learned multitasking from her as well because when she took us to the ballpark, she slept in the car until the game started and then she would be in the front row to watch us play as often as she could. She was a good woman who ADORED her grand kids. That is no exaggeration, the sun rose and set by them and I often joked that they could be smearing poo on the wall and my mom would call it art. In the last few years mom’s eyesight was not the best and I remember playing videos of the kids dancing and mom turning her head so many different ways to get the best angle to see them dance. She was always beaming with pride when she watched them dance. Anyway, just a few words to remember her and her character. I am sorry to share that she passed away last week, she had a heart attack and a very bad fall; while she survived the surgery to repair her broken hip and leg, her heart could not survive one final stroke post surgery. The day after she passed I was out on the deck and I saw for the first time a shooting star, I would like to think that was mom letting us know she was doing just fine.
I am happy that we got to celebrate her 79th bday a few weeks before she passed away on 9/23 (you can see pics of Eli and Zoe with her on that day, the last two pics of her taken), oddly enough it was the day after my father passed away. We opted not to ruin her bday and tell her that dad had passed and delayed by a day, she was very upset when she found out. It amazes me that after all my father did to her, she still was able to mourn his loss; I suppose I will eventually have to learn forgiveness from her.
She was a good woman who will be remembered. In fact, one of my favorite memories of my mom was of her making mini Easter Baskets for Eddie and I to take into school when we were little. She would save for weeks the green plastic baskets strawberries used to come in to make them. She would also bake treats to send into school, that was pre-divorce when she had a bit more time on her hands and a million less jobs. I guess that is why no matter how tired I am from work, or how busy I am I will always try to find time to make treats for the kids, their teachers and their teams; a fond memory of my mom that I want to carry forward to ensure kids will remember one day.
Ed's World 