December 3rd marked 9 months since Bill died. In some ways in seemed like it just happened and in some way it seems like forever. So much has happened in these past nine months that I know my Mom never expected and I never expected. I have always known my mother was a remarkable women- truly someone to be admired- but I have seen her triumph and persevere in a way I know I never could. She has not given up when her whole world has crumbled before her. Her husband died very unexpectedly. That is enough to do anyone in. Then to make matters worse Bill's sons, whom she had a good relationship with, have just been terrible. I could write pages and pages of all the horrible things they have done to her over the last 9 months but I won't. Mostly because Jason would get mad at me and delete it all, but I do realize it would be a poor choice on my part. What they have done is enough to make anyone want to quit on life. She lost her house, she lost her job, and her life in Charlotte. Yet she hasn't given up. I have watched her suffer endlessly but she still gets up every morning. She smiles and loves on my kids. She is the most giving person in the world and ask for absolutely nothing in return. She likes to make things beautiful. She would serve and work for anyone until she couldn't go on anymore. Everyone that has met her here in St. Louis loves her and instantly knows they are meeting a woman of integrity, gentleness, kindness, compassion, and depth. On Thanksgiving my Mom wrote a letter of all the things she had to be thankful for and read it out loud to all of us. If I were her, I would have closed the door and not talked to anyone. And that is just another example of why she is so amazing.
Tomorrow, December 6th, is her birthday. Tomorrow would have been Bill's birthday. This is her first birthday without Bill in 14 years. Tomorrow will be a tough day. I think we have some good ideas to remember Bill tomorrow and I hope that somehow we can look back at this as a hard day but a day filled with love.
Happy Birthday Mom. You are more loved than you could possibly imagine.
Also this week Josiah turned 7 months!!! Pictures to follow!
