Yesterday was my mom's birthday. She would have been 57. This was the 10th birthday that has come and gone since my mom passed away in 2001 from ALS.
Sunday was not a day of sadness or depression. Sunday was part of a great weekend getaway to Atlanta with my roommate Amber. On Sunday we went to a great church service, ate delicious food, and hung out with some wonderful friends. In the midst of a great weekend, was March 6th - and I feel like it should be noted.
Thankfully, the vast majority of my memories of my mom are great ones, when she was healthy and happy - and even a lot of the memories when she was sick are not bad. I remember a lot of wonderful things, and it is amazing where the memories spark from. For example, as we were driving in Atlanta a friend had a sheriff's badge in his cup holder. The badge was from the restaurant Casa Bonita, in Denver, CO. One of the two favorite pictures I have of my mom was taken at Casa Bonita - good memory.
I heard someone say that after you lose someone you think about them everyday. I thought this was impossible, turns out it isn't. I am confident that I have thought of my mom everyday since November 23, 2001. Bob Knight, Dr. Quinn, Tom Selleck, blueberries, Clinique, cappuccino, pianos, skibos, Kenny G, the color beige, nurses, inside buttons in elevators, new born babies, and scrambled eggs are just a few things on a long list of reminders of my mom.
It is strange to think I am in a place in my life where my mom has no distinct connection. I didn't know about Milligan ten years ago. My college, major, and now job were all things I never talked to my mom about, or knew existed at the time. Sometimes I wonder if she would have been okay with me going to college 450 miles away. If she had protested, I think I would have reminded her that Ozark was even farther away from Bloomington, and look how well that turned out for her.
10 years ago and the preceding years, March 6th was filled with birthday cake from E&L Bakery and presents and cards. Now it is a day, a lot like all of the other days. Even though there are no presents or cards, it is still an important day and one that I am thankful for. I am thankful for my mom and who she taught me to be, and how she taught me to act. I am thankful that I look like her, and act like her (most of the time that is a good thing). I am thankful for the moments and things, be they little, big, insignificant, or monumental that remind me of her.
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