Happy birthday, Grandma Joyce

October 10, 2008 by Barbara.

Mom has been expecting a birthday message from me for almost a year. As you may recall, I sent my first-ever birthday message to Chris one year ago tomorrow and that means Mom has been waiting a long, long time and, you know, I don’t think she likes to wait.

Top 10 reasons that I’m glad that I got Mom for my mother:
1. She loves me completely, totally and without question. What’s more, she loves many other people in the same way. It’s good to be part of the gang of the “loved”.
2. She has a song for any and every occasion, turn of phrase, and mood.
3. She taught me that the best thing a mother can do for her child is to love the father. This is good advice and she followed it herself.
4. She taught me that tossing clothes in a dryer with a damp cloth will get out almost all of the wrinkles. This is important to know, too.
5. She has always had time - or made time - to listen to my hopes, dreams, fears and musings. Dare I say blathering? And I use past tense because I’m not talking to her right now but she listened to me last night.
6. She sews the most beautiful clothes for Reid. Some have some bad words sewn into them but all show her love.
7. She can be counted on for a comment on any situation, like when she asked Ken about his thoughts on marriage the first weekend I ever brought him home. No pressure. Or the reassurance and support she offers when I’m lonely or uncertain in his absence.
8. She has baked dozens of dozens of dozens of cookies over the years. What’s more, she let me ‘”help” when I was a girl and has accepted Reid’s “assistance” as well.
9. She has my hands. Or maybe I have her hands. Either way, looking at my hands makes me think of her.
10. She has nurtured me, prodded me, disciplined me and did whatever was necessary to be done to get or keep me where I needed to be.

Happy birthday, Mom!

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