Moms...

I miss my mother a lot. No matter how old one gets, there's just something about a mother's arms that make things seem a little better. Since being diagnosed with cancer, I have secretly longed to be rocked and to be soothed and to be held close to my mother's heart. But that never happened. Mom's heart failed. On July 20th, 2007, Mom breathed her last and she went to be with Jesus. That was nine months before I even had an inkling about my journey into the sea of untoward cells and the seemingly endless rounds of chemotherapy.

I am glad Mom was not around to see me travel down this cancer road, although I will admit that I selfishly desire the comfort and consolation only a Mom can offer. Mom's frail heart was wearing out and I had been spending quite a long time caring for her. I can't help thinking now how grateful I am that Mom did not have to know and worry about me being sick. There were times when she would tell me that I was making myself sick. She would admonish me and remind me that I needed to take care of myself. I would laugh at her and hug her and then she would give me that wonderful maternal look. Yes I miss my mother. I look forward to that wonderful reunion one day. I will hug her and love her and tell her 'thanks.' (I don't think I did that enough.)

So why am I writing this right now? I guess you might call it a fit of passion, a silly whim or perhaps menopausal stupidity...but I want to remind you to remember your mother. Go call her. Or hug her right now. Tell her you love her; that you are sorry; that you miss her; that you are thankful for all that she did for you. Tell her that you appreciate how she laboured for you in so many ways over the years, from childbirth to child- rearing; from fighting fevers to fighting on your behalf. Make sure your Mom knows that you love her and that you respect her. Thank her for giving you life. You won't regret it. One never knows when the darkness will come and then time becomes the precursor to all those things left unsaid...