A Special Birthday

My darling Mom turns 96 years old today. She lives in Virginia and I have not seen her in a while. We talk at least twice a week on the phone, even though she is hard of hearing. She always sounds cheerful and of course will never say if there is a problem! Mom maintains her great sense of humor, loves to reminisce about her childhood in Montreal, her young adult life there, and her subsequent move to Washington DC during World War II. That is where she met my father, married and had four children.

My mother taught me so many fantastic things when I was growing up. A gracious, gentle woman who spent her days tending to the home and kids, baking and cooking (an incredible cook), creative seamstress, artist, pianist, floral arranger; a true reveler in the home arts. I am so blessed to have such a sweet, dear lady for a mom.

We spent lots of summer times traveling up north to Canada, to the wild and rural woods of northern Quebec. Her family had a sort of "compound" of summer houses, all with charming French names. Her sister's place at the bottom of a steep hill, near the little lake. Her youngest sister owning the original family place at the top of the hill, a typical sloping roofed cottage, built almost 200 years ago. And my mom's little chalet across from that cottage in a wild blueberry patch, with apple trees and sugar maples.  Wonderful memories, wonderful family times with all the aunts and cousins. My mom was in her element there. She had to give up going there several years ago, her youngest sister is gone now, and her other sister has moved away to British Colombia. But happiness in the memories give her pleasure.

Nowadays, Mom spends her days in her cozy, sunny room at my brother's fine house in the Shenandoah Valley. Because she is partially deaf, mostly blind and infirmed by terrible knees, her mobility is limited and she can no longer sew, cook, read. Still, she keeps a positive view of life and always has something interesting to say, and is always keenly interested in what's going on with the family, her grandkids and even the dogs!

I love and adore my mother so much and am sending a million happy birthday wishes. I thank her for who I am, the woman I grew up to be. I hope to go down in November to see her. I can't wait to sit with her and chat and laugh and just be with her.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mom!!

My mom and me with family (my husband, kneeling)