Happy Birthday Mama!

Tomorrow, Nov 18 is my Mom's birthday.  She would have been 93. Mama refused to buy a house, because she wanted to travel & she didn't want to be tied down. She never got to travel... Mama took us out to eat once a month even though we didn't have money to pay all the bills because she knew that the bills would always be there, and the memory making moments would some day be gone. Mama believed in magic & she could make you see the wonder and magic in any situation, however ordinary.  When the electricity went out and we were terrified of the storm, Mama would light a lantern and we would huddle on blankets on the floor and tell ghost stories. She taught us to celebrate the ordinary.  We gave gifts "just because I love you".  My Mama always seemed to know the answer to everything.  I don't ever remember doubting her ability to make everything all better.  She could pull money out of a hat for the most anything we really wanted to do in life, music lessons, dance lessons, band instruments...but she skipped lunch every day and worked 3 jobs without complaint so that we wouldn't go without those luxuries.  I can remember her coming home from work hungry, really hungry & grabbing a cold hot dog from the fridge like it was manna from heaven.  Mama could cook, not often, but her homeade stew has never been equaled. She made homemade rolls the size of your fist, and they were sooo delicious. Mama taught us to never give up, to always do our best, to always tell the truth & to always leave the picnic area cleaner than we found it. Mama taught us that no matter what the problem if we would get a good night sleep we could start fresh again in the morning and it would be better. Mama worried when I kept having children because what if something happened and I had to raise them on my own...like she did. Mama was always right, of course, and I did have to do that...but her with her example of keeping on, never giving up & hanging in there, we made it through to the finish line, just like she did.  My memory fails me often, age catches up with me at times, but I will never forget the wonderful lessons I learned from Mama.  Happy Birthday Mama, I love you still.