Day 7 - Catch up...

Ok, so I have finally caught up with my blog. I was a day behind and wanted to get back on track. My goal is to write about each day and have it be that present day when I write. Next week may be tough because we will be camping in the Seeley Lake area and I'm sure we will be off the grid. Tomorrow is my mom's 81st birthday and the primary purpose of coming to Montana each year. My mom suffered a heart attack 5 years ago while visiting me in California. It was a very tragic event in that I actually witnessed her collapse in my house and had to perform CPR for over 10 minutes until the paramedics arrived. We nearly lost our mother that night and every day is a gift to have her with us. Being the youngest of 5 and having the youngest grandchild, I feel a strong desire to be a part of my mom's life and her world. My son may have barely known his grandmother if she would have left us that night. I am blessed to see their relationship grow each year and the memories they are creating. Spending time around your parent as an adult can at times be a challenge. You see things in them that drive you absolutely nuts, but it's those things we also see in ourselves. It's a great lesson to find acceptance of your parents. I suppose it goes both ways too. We can't change who we are and our primary behavioral traits, but we can learn how to accept each other. To just let each other be...sometimes easier said then done. I just want to enjoy her and have her enjoy us being here. I know being here brings her immense joy, and that fills my heart. I have always been close to my mom, sometimes just like her. As brash and ornery as she can be, she is also kind, honest and almost always, right! So I am catching up with my mom and all she has to teach me in life, even if it's a lesson I didn't ask for, I most likely needed it. I love you mom, you are my hero. Happy birthday!!!