The Rock

This weekend my family celebrated the life of a Rock. Sounds exciting already doesn't it? The rock I am referring to is my mother. She will be 80 years old on Tuesday. She said this weekend that she is officially old. Prior to that she referred to other people as being old, but never herself.  I think she derived that mentality from her Dad. When he was about 90, he was interviewed by our local newspaper for volunteering for Meals on Wheels. He said he liked to help old people. He lived 95 wonderful years. When I think of him I think of a man with gentle ways and a smile on his face..  Now my Mama volunteers for Hospice House and I see so many similarities between the two of them.

I asked my Mom where she would like to go for a day trip to celebrate her birthday. She came up with eating at The Dillard House for lunch. She said she didn't realize that it was 3 hours away. So we decided to make it an overnight trip. Way to get more bang for your buck Mama. Not only does she get a day trip, she also gets an overnight trip. Alas, she is still sharp for her age!

Let me explain why I call her the Rock. There are so many reasons, but the main one that stands out to me, during this time in my life is that I can always depend on her, no matter what. She comes to my house once a week to help me clean. Not because she has to, but because she seems to understand and sympathize  better than anyone with what I am going through. She seems to understand what it means when I say I don't feel good or I didn't sleep well or that I can't do as much as I could before Interstitial Cystitis ( IC). Prior to my diagnosis of  IC, I only called her on the phone, every once in a while. And I would see her only occasionally. Now I call her often and see her every week. Sometimes when I call her, I just need to hear that voice of reason, that will always guide me in the right direction. Some days I just need a friend that will listen without judgement. She is all these things to me and so much more.  Sometimes I feel as though I am the prodigal daughter and I have returned home and as always she greets me with open arms.

As I celebrate the life of this solid, dependable, Christian woman, I also celebrate the life of one of my closest friends and the best role model a person could ever ask for. I celebrate the lives of those whom she has blessed, myself included. Without her living her life the way she does, I don't know where I would be today.

How about you? If your Mom passed away today, would you be happy about the amount of time you have talked to her, spent with her or just listened to her? I know this is a  harsh thing to consider, but I think about these things all the time now. I know even more so now, that each day is a gift from God and we better live it in a way that is pleasing to Him. So, if you haven't talked to your Mom or spent time with your Mom in a while, you should make the effort to reach out to her. We all have one Mom, so make sure yours knows how much you love her. Maybe for you it is another family member or a friend that you haven't reached out to in a while. Go ahead and take the first step. I guarantee you that you will feel better if you do. Reach out to your loved ones in your time of need and you too will be blessed!

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"So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

I dedicate this blog to my Mama. I can always turn to her when I need a friend.

My Mama

My Mama & brother Clayton GA

My Mama, The Rock