Remembering Mom

This coming Sunday in the United States anyway is Mother's Day. This is the time when we all remember our moms. On this day people call their mom if she is still alive or at least think of her if she has passed on. Mom's are special at least my memories of Mom are precious and I know know now that she made many a sacrifice for us as me and my 4 siblings grew up.
My mom is the oldest girl of a farm family of 10 kids with her 7 brothers and 2 sisters there was always something to do. Being the 3rd child and the first girl mom learned to cook at an early age out of necessity mostly to keep this large family fed. I remember her mom telling us as we grew up that my mom would stand on the wood box next to the huge wood burning cook stove and help when she was just 4 or 5 years old. Mom learned to cook and cook well making the most out of what was available. When she married dad and started having kids with me coming along 1 year and 3 days after their first wedding anniversary. Mom stayed home with the kids. She continued to cook and take care of our growing family and seems there was always an extra neighborhood kid or two around too.
My memories include coming home from school and mom always had a snack for us. She stayed up with us when we were sick and she made sure every birthday was special. She made cookies for all the cub scout and boy scout meetings and attended football games and chorus concerts and never complained. My mom is a special lady that I am sure God sent for me and my brothers and sisters. I moved away from the home area some 30 years ago and still called often. When we would go home for a visit every year mom would always make sure she baked me some fresh cinnamon rolls and make some of my favorite meals while we would be there.
This will be a first for me this year on Mother's Day. While my mom is still alive the effects of Addison's disease and Alzheimer's disease have taken most of her short term and some long term memory. Recently I was called by my sister telling mom was in very serious condition and they were not sure what would happen. I was in Montana at the time and when I could get a way I drove to Eastern Kansas to see mom.You see while I was in the hospital back in February mom almost died. The diseases were throwing her hormones and everything off and it was decided to put her in a nursing home because dad could not take care of her anymore. I had just seen her in November and talked to her Christmas and New Year.
I walked in her hospital room and the woman I knew as mom was not who I saw. She did not know who I was thinking I was one of her older brothers who have died. I saw as she sat in the chair by her bed in the Hospital in her own world only coming out briefly to make a comment.
Mom was in there somewhere but the diseases hold here captive now. As I left I gave her a hug and put my forehead to hers and for just a moment as I looked into her eyes I once again saw mom for just a moment.
I won't be able to talk to mom this year on Mother's Day. I have been assured that any cards sent will be read and displayed in her room. I will be thinking of mom on Sunday remembering all the love and care she gave me while I grew up. I will always remember coming home time and time again with the smell of something good on the stove or in the oven or both. I thank God that he gave me the Best Mom in the World. I love you Mom! Thank you for being my Mom.!

The Choices we Make!

It happened so suddenly. I looked in the mirror and looking back at me was some old guy whose balding head and full beard had turned Grey almost white. I was sure that when I went to bed last night I had a full head of brown hair. That over weight guy looking back in the mirror is not the same guy who played football as a youth and spent some time in the USMC running up and down hills in Virgina while attending Platoon Leader Classes each summer. Yes all of a sudden all the choices of eating an extra slice of pie or extra helping of potatoes and gravy became very visible. The ravages of the years had shown up suddenly yet slowly as the years passed.
As I pondered these things I was reminded that I made choices some very deliberately and some because of pressures that have molded my life. I did make some good choices I made the choice to stop smoking some 32 years ago. I decided to surrender my life to Jesus and to stop drinking. As I thought about the choices I have made some good and some not so good; we all have a choice to make our lives the way they are and it is done with sometimes very little choices that can lead to where our lives go.
Think about it when the one who ended up on death row for killing someone. They did not start out as a youngster saying, "I want to be a murderer when I grow up.". No most kids I know want to be firemen, or policemen, or doctors, or lawyers or Sports stars or as my 3 year old grandson to be a superhero who defeats all the bad guys. Somewhere along the way that one on death row made some small choice to break the law or rebel in some way and then another choice to do it again and then again and then again until they ended up where they ended up.
We all have dreams about our future and we all have choices we can make that will take us either closer to our dreams and goals or choices that will take us farther away. I know I plan on taking more time to think about the choices I make that will take me closer to my dreams and to take care of my health so I can live a long and productive life.