Happy Birthday

Today would have been my mother’s 84th birthday. I had plans to take her shopping over the weekend so we could use up some of the gift cards I had. Mom loved a bargain and loved gift cards. She was great at saving money. She was the coupon queen. Mom had decided a couple of years ago that this was to be Pixie’s birthday too. We aren’t sure when the cat was born but it was around this time. Mom wanted her cat to share her birthday.

I have continued to take pictures. Mom loved my pictures of flowers. She would have been happy to see the number of gladiolus that have bloomed this year. We have lots of the pink and yellow ones. I was really surprised to see a peach colored one this year. I don’t ever remember seeing a peach one before in our garden. I also would have done a picture for Mom since she loved my art work. I decided to go ahead and do a picture any way. Mom liked this particular outfit and I filled the picture with animals since Mom loved animals so much.

This is the first birthday without her and I’ve been thinking of her all day. I know from now on I have to think about doing the things that need to be done for myself. I need to get the house ready to be sold. I need to think about moving down to North Carolina to be closer to my niece and her children. Today though I’m thinking about Mom and wishing her a happy birthday.

I was a caregiver for six years. My energy was focused on taking care of my Mom. As I move on I find that I want to get back to being more politically involved. There are a lot of things that I would like to see happen. The health care reform is only a start. There is more that needs to be done. There is more that needs to be done towards everyone having the same freedoms regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or sexual orientation. That fight I want to get more involved in. The environment has never been in a more precarious situation. That fight I want to do more in. There is a lot that I can put my energies towards. Having experienced being a caregiver I can see where there are things that need to be done to help caregivers. Care giving is the most rewarding and the most difficult job there is and I would like to see what I can do to help others through that period.

There is a lot I am facing in the future. I have always felt that you can climb any mountain if you take it one step at a time. I am working now through the financial things from my Mom’s death. I am continuing working on my art and my photography. I have things I want to do but right now I need to tell a little black kitty happy birthday.