My mother returned back to Florida today. Her job was done. This time around. She always told me, “A mother’s job is never really done…” And once again, she’s right. My mother, the woman who taught me about being independent was independent far before it was cool or kosher to be so as a woman. Do you think she cared? Nah. Not one bit. Because she marched to her own beat, according to her values and let the world know what she thought along the way. You’ve got to admire that. Especially since she is now 76 so that means she was waaaaaaaaaay ahead of her time! My mother always wanted to finish school, so she went back to school in her 40’s and obtained a degree in nursing. She had stopped college years earlier when my father was sent to war in order to stay home and raise my brother. But once all of the kids were older, she went back to college, got her degree and worked at a local hospital for about 15 years. Of course, I am sure she never thought that she would end up using her nursing background to take care of my father during his tough battle with pancreatic cancer later in life. Nor did she expect to use it again to care for her youngest daughter during her leukemia battle (8 years remission this past May) or this past week when I needed to have surgery. I am so thankful to have her as my mother. I am so thankful for her love and guidance and advice (most of the time) over the years. And, while Mother’s Day has passed, I want to pay tribute to my mother, today. Mom, I love you. THANK you. You are the wind beneath my wings. The saying goes, “God gave me wings so that I could soar, but mom, you taught me how to fly.”
