Grateful For My Mom

Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother passing. I remember that day so vividly. I was feeling the best I had felt in my life. Joey and I had just finished the Master Cleanse, I had been going to a trainer for a month and all was well in my world. I was feeling amazing. My mom was in the hospital, but was doing well and was expected to be going home the next day. All was well in my world. Then I got the phone call. The poor doctor stammered around for a bit talking about a pea (yes, a pea) and I finally asked, "Did my mom die?"

"Yes," he said, "she swallowed a pea and it went into her lung. She died while we were operating to get it out."

"My mother doesn't eat peas."

"Well, she did today. I'm so sorry."

At first I couldn't believe it. Not that she died, but that she died from a pea. Of all things she had done in her life and to her body it was a pea that killed her. We are taught not to find humor in death, but I know mom would laugh about this one. A PEA!

I have missed my mom a lot this past year, but I have also been grateful. Grateful that my mother and I were so close, grateful for all she taught me and even grateful for the way she moved on.

My mother and I didn't spend a lot of time together when I was growing up, but we made up for that when I became an adult she was my best friend. A lot of what I am is because of her. We are amazingly alike in many ways - good and bad. On the good front, I embrace all those qualities of myself that remind me of her. On the bad qualities, she did her best to teach me how to work with them. She always told me that she thought she went through so many hard times to teach me what not to do. She sure did teach me and I listened. Not always at first, but I did listen.

So, today I celebrate all that is my mother. I can still feel her touching my life and if I listen closely enough she is still there guiding me down the right path. I will always be grateful to have this amazing woman in my life.