March 30th – 81 Reasons to be Thankful

Many folks I know celebrate birthdays, birthday celebrations have always been a source of fun for me, I honestly try to remember birthdays and I keep track of many on my calendar at work so I can try and remember, mind you I do forget some, really try not to though. Now that I am a Grandma it’s even more fun watching my Granddaughter delight in gifts, even when they are not for her. She loves to rip open the packages. Another person in my life who I loved to celebrate and give gifts to is my Mom. On the 30th (today) my Mom will be 81 years old. Mom passed in 2012 so it’s been a while since we’ve had a party, but oh do I still celebrate her.

I was thinking about this very thing this morning. I had a conversation recently with someone who was questioning why she is still around when all of her family are passing away (she is oldest of several), why is she left, what possible reason is there. I told her that I believe she is a witness for them. Someone who is to tell their story and be sure it moves forward. Like in generations past when “oral traditions” were so important. I think we are moving away from some oral traditions and well, I think this is something we need, need to keep them going. We need to remember, we need to tell those stories. I want to be a witness for my Mom, along with my siblings we are the ones who need to be (are) her witnesses. Last weekend I showed my Granddaughter a photo of my Mom and I said – “that’s my Mommy, she’s your Nana” and she said “Nana”. I just swelled, I was so proud for my little Ladybug to know her Nana.

My daughter and I are both so fortunate to have not one but two really wonderful ladies in our lives that taught us about witnessing, about oral traditions, about love, life, family and more. They both talked about family, the family that had passed. In a way so we could learn about them. Learn from them. One was my Mom of course and the other was my daughters other Grandma. Oh the conversations I had with both of these ladies. How much they taught me about family, about love, about legacy. I learned a lifetime of things from both of them. I want to pass it along to the next generation and the next and the next.

Proverbs 13 A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not respond to rebukes. 13 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. 15 Good judgment wins favor, but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction. 16 All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly. 20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

My Mom was someone who cherished family. I remember as a kid spending more time with my Mom’s side of the family – and this was a LARGE family. Mom was one-of-twelve and her parents both had eleven siblings each as well. I noticed in doing some ancestry that my Grandfather and several of his brothers always made moves with each other, meaning they tended to live in the same town at the same time, you can see this many times over the years, they ended up in Bowie (about 2 hours north of where I live) where most of them are buried, it’s nice to have one place to visit when we go. I love this and I remember some of my Great Uncles and Aunts with such wonderful memories – Oh boy I could tell you stories and then stories and more stories – like when I used to sneak in the back yard at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, the entire back yard was vegetation, edible everything. Now you’d think I’d go for the apricot tree or maybe another sweet but I went after the tomatoes over by the big tree, gosh I loved them and I’d just snack on them like an apple. My Grandfather threatened to tie me to that big ole tree if I didn’t stay out of those tomatoes..grin, matter of fact I get my love of tomatoes honestly since both sets of my grandparents grew them – my PawPaw created a hybrid tomato called the Parker Special and I remember eating tomatoes out of his garden, they were huge. There are few childhood memories that don’t include Mom’s side of the family. Sometimes my cousins felt more like siblings. We played tag and chased lightening bugs and ran until we were too pooped to play more. I cherish this. Oh my gosh what great memories. Many of those memories include watching my Mom, she was always pretty animated but oh how she seemed to come alive and thrive being around her family. Like an old tonic that made you feel super great. The best thing ever.

Back to her birthday, on TODAY (3/30) this year I’m going to celebrate Mom, I’m going to do things today Mom liked to do. A puzzle, talk to family and maybe I’ll eat a good ole hamburger, Mom loved a good ole hamburger with mustard and plenty of pickles. Speaking of that, my Granddaughter inherited that thing from my Mom, she loves burgers. “My burger” she says. She also loves pickles on her burger just like her Nana. The last cake we had on Mom’s birthday was a scratch made carrot cake (14 carrot cake says the recipe) and boy it was just super yummy. I need to find that recipe and make that again too.

I’m also going to spend time in thanks, that my Mom loved family, that she shared her family, both in person and in stories. I am going to be thankful for the lessons she taught me that I can pass down. I think I’ll make a list – 81 reasons to be thankful. Won’t you join me and celebrate Mom, and celebrate our thankfulness. You list them too, 81 reasons why you are thankful.

I would be most grateful if you all joined me in celebrating both Mom and gratitude.

1) I am thankful for my Mom. Thankful God let me be her daughter.

2) Thankful for family both sides

3) Thankful for my Dad

4) Thankful for my Pop

5) Thankful for my siblings

6) Thankful for Reda (bonus Mom)

7) Thankful for my friends and extended family

8) Thankful for tomatoes

9) Etc… keep going to 81

Dear Heavenly Father – Thank You, Thank You for so many things today but mostly thank You for Your love, Your lessons, Your forgiveness, Thank You for the two great women You gave me to do life with. Thank You for my family, Thank You for my kids and my grandkids. I am so grateful for the blessings. - AMEN