Matters of The Heart

Mother's Day! A beautiful celebration of Mom, my Sis, and me. That's me and Mom to the left, and my Sis, Mom and me above. It was a lovely, lovely day. I gave my Mom a gardenia corsage. Gardenias are her favorite flower. Years ago, in the 40's, she and my Dad went to New York City often. Every time, he bought her a gardenia corsage from a street vendor for just 50 cents!. Such a lovely memory. I told her she should have a corsage to wear every day. She is truly one of my most precious gifts. And my sister, she is older. :-) She is my best friend in the world. I gave her three large long stemmed sun flowers. It is tradition for six years now. Each sun flower represents one of her three amazing sons. Her oldest son, and my Godson, died an untimely death six years ago. This tragic loss bonded us in ways I never knew were possible. I didn't know where her grief ended and mine began. Every night since, I tell her, "remember Sis, I sleep right by the phone". She also just lost her husband of 40+ years this January. She is strong and determined and forges on. I am right beside her. She has been there for me too, like a pillar of strength.
We are all so humorous, as well. The laughter was abundant. I had show tunes playing in the back round on the 'On Demand" music channel. We laughed so hard as songs played that we knew and each of us falsely believed we could sing along well to such tunes as "Memories", or "Think Of Me" from Phantom, and "Maria" from West Side Story - it was hysterical. -)
We ate well. Quiche, bagels, fruit salad and apple walnut coffee cake, coffee and orange juice and delightful conversation.
My eldest daughter called me from upstate NY. Her words to me were a gift. She said
I am who I am because of you Mom and I love you".
My son called from Brooklyn - he too gave me a gift in his words. He said "remember Mom, that all of my victories are victories of yours, as well".
And my daughter, the one that lives near by and is in 'trouble in her life' as you all have read. She called, only to tell me she would not be coming over. The excuses matter not as they were not true anyway. My heart broke in that moment. Knowing how trapped she is and that I can't free her. The door here is open, and inside here is love and hope. She need only to walk through the door. She was missed as was her son.
And so despite the piece of my heart that broke - my heart was filled with love and gratitude and joy as I immersed myself in the love and beauty that surrounded me. I feel it all - embrace it all as this is my truth - my heart - my life. And Skipp, my guy? He brought me one rose and a perfect card and in the card he wrote - "One rose you might ponder" One rose because you are the only one". :-) He also got me five packs of chuckles candy, five being my lucky number and I love chuckles. On that sweet note I will close.

Love Gail
peace and "chuckles"