My mom is the greatest! When I was very young she was a stay-at-home mom with 6 little ones to chase after. Even though she was so busy, she still made sure I learned to walk at a very young age (not even a year old!) My parents divorced when I was 5 and my mom had to re-enter the work world after sitting out for 15 years – not an easy feat in 1963! My mom taught us to be resilient – she’s the greatest!
Even though we were so poor in the beginning, we never knew it. My mom would pull us over a mile (in the snow) on the toboggan my grandfather bought us – so we could each get one tootsie roll! (Back in the days of penny candy.) The neighbor kids all wanted to come home with me after school on the days my mom had off – they could smell the baked goods when we got off the bus. (They had never heard of surplus food the government gave us each month – all they knew was the magic she did with it.) My mom is the greatest cook!
When I hit the ripe old age of 8 my mom taught me how to sew. If you wanted new clothes you had to make them yourself. The kids at school were all envious my mom gave me home-made clothes while they were stuck with store bought. My mom is the greatest teacher!
I hit my teenage years and suddenly my mom was old! The three oldest sisters had grown and married, but now I was stuck at home with my brother (he was ultra-cool), my little sister and my OLD mom! How would I cope? It ended up my house was the place to hang out. My old (but very cool) mom would let ALL of my friends come over to play Twister or cards – and she actually left us alone! (We called her ‘Hawkeye.’ She would come out and check on us to make sure all was well, and we never let her down!) Pretty soon the other parents were sending over pizza making and sodas – but my mom let us be us! She knew the importance of growing up. My mom was the greatest teaching us the power of trust!
I did the same thing most of us do – grew up – got married – started a family. I found myself divorced with a young daughter to support and was soon working 90 hours a week (but climbing the management ladder at a record pace!) Everything remedies itself. I suffered a knee injury and was confined to bed for almost a year – I ended up with a disease in my nervous system - RSD. I could no longer do what my mom had taught me in my tender years – no more walking. The outlook was not good – 5 years to a wheelchair.
My oldest daughter acted as my nurse (she gets her LPN in October) and she gave me the lesson of a lifetime. One day during my physical therapy I was crying because of the pain and said ‘I can’t.’ I can’t put my body through this anymore. I can’t stand the pain anymore. I can’t take any more nerve blocks. I CAN’T! My wise kindergartener showed me what she had learned in school that day. It takes very little effort to go from I can’t - to - I CAN TRY. With the help of my daughters – they taught me what my mother had years ago – they taught me how to walk again. MY daughters are the greatest!
I took a job at Raymond James. Loved the family atmosphere and Raymond James was my grandfather’s name – a double win! Several years later I saw my 1st 3 Day pledge sheets. After talking to Janice I KNEW I had to walk. I could not imagine growing up without my mom…or my daughter’s without theirs.
My leg still rears it’s ugly head and kicks my butt every now and then, but I remember that lesson from 25 years ago. I can try.
I can try to make a difference
I can try to be something bigger then all of us
I can try to ensure not another daughter will lose her mother to this monster
I CAN TRY.
Please help me raise $2200.00 to Walk Against Breast Cancer
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