13 Years Later

13 years. It has been 13 years since I lost my Mom to cancer. I’m past the anger stage. I’ve adjusted to this “new normal.” But I miss her and want to celebrate the amazing person that she was. I’m finally ready to talk through writing because I still don’t like talking in person about this loss.  Here are 13 things that I loved about my Mom.

1.    My mom LOVED birthdays. She remembered everyone’s birthday and was so good about mailing cards. I remember birthday announcements on the radio and a bouquet of balloons being delivered to school for my Sweet 16.

2.       She was sensitive. I definitely got this trait from her. We both cried HARD watching Free Willy. I’ll never forget that.

3.       She loved hosting garage sales. Garage sales on Cresthill Street were epic. I think this could have been a 2^nd career for her.

4.       She was an amazing nurse. She spent her career working in the NICU with premature babies as well as a women’s clinic helping pregnant women (of all ages). Many nurses, doctors and secretaries came to her funeral and told me how good she was at her job and how her patients loved her.

5.       She was easy to talk to. She knew all of our friends by name and was always in the loop about what was happening in our lives. I missed out on this relationship in my adult years but I am certainly glad that I had her during my high school and university years. 

6.       She loved going on vacations. She looked forward to trips with us or with another couple. We went to Mexico a few times as well as Florida.

7.       She loved wrapping Christmas presents. Another trait I got from her. I have fond memories of spending time in the basement and it looked like it had been converted into Santa’s workshop.

8.       She was a list maker and let me come errand running with her. It was very easy to convince her that ice cream at Reid’s Dairy was an essential part of “buying milk.”

9.       She loved socializing with people. She organized pool parties and summer BBQ’s. Date nights and New Year’s Eve outings. She was a bit more outgoing than I am but I do enjoy hosting people for dinner and definitely enjoy date nights!

10.    She was always center court watching Matt play basketball, center ice watching him play hockey and on the sidelines cheering me on in soccer. Her cheers were slightly embarrassing but so very endearing.

11.    She loved tea. She took her tea strong and with milk. No sugar. I told her that I couldn’t imagine not having sugar in it since it “tasted gross.” Guess how I drink it now? Strong and with just milk. I imagine she had a good laugh about that.

12.   She liked to organize. When she moved me into residence at Queens and at Potsdam, she surveyed the area and made sure I had everything that I needed for an organized room. I still remember an impromptu visit at Queens when she dropped off a shoe shelf and a shower caddy.

13.   She was involved with our education. She remembered to ask how tests went and spent endless hours helping us put the finishing touches on school projects. She was the practise audience for school speeches since they made me nervous.

If I am half the mom that she was then I am doing something right. Miss you Mom, love you so much!

Love Megan