"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friday, February 19, 2010

Ode to Mothers

I just finished catching up on some reading.  Some friends of mine too have blogs and it has been awhile since I have read them.  I really enjoy reading these blogs as they help me feel connected to friends who are now so far away.  When I read their thoughts and experiences or see their photos I don't feel quite so detached from that part of my life . . . our friendship. 

It was one blog specifically that really touched me.  My friend Stacy lost her mother to cancer recently and she shared her speech/eulogy on her blog.  While I was reading it I could not help but think about my own mother who, like Stacy's mother had, has surpassed the 10 year mark of being cancer free.  Stacy writes, "our Mom will be remembered not for having had cancer, but for how she lived with it--how she never lost her positivity, her courage or her strength."  This statement really struck me . . . it is how I too remember my mother's battle.  Thankfully, my mother is still with me and I remember every day how quickly she could be taken away and I appreciate every moment, every phone call, and every skype date that we have together.  To my friend Stacy, I am very sorry for your loss and I'm even more sorry that I could not be there to be a shoulder for you to lean on. 

To my mother . . . I love you!