Thursday, October 23, 2008

Birthday Blessings

Today is my mom's 69th birthday. It has been almost three years now since she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I never imagined I would be lucky enough to still have her here with me today. It was estimated that she only had a few months to live and yet she is living an active and healthy life today. I can't express how grateful I am.

I am so grateful that my boys continue to have the opportunity to get to know their grandma the way I know her. To see what a beautiful example she is of not only motherly love but of God's love for us. She lives her life by example and continues to amaze me. She handles every situation with grace including her cancer, her daughter's death, her husband's Alzheimer's, her children's struggles, and what ever else life throws at her. Her faith and trust in God is something I strive for every day. She shows us that our suffering makes us stronger and prepares our souls for heaven's reward. She is a shining example of Christianity.

Mom is a positive light in this sometimes dark world. She is supportive, kind, generous, giving, and loving. Though I have been an adult for quite some time I feel I will always need my mom. She is a strength to me. And a best friend. I will continue throughout my life to try and be the kind of mother to my boys that she is to me.

I can not say enough about this amazing woman. And I am so blessed to have had her in my life as long as I have. I pray that today is a special day for her and that she will have many, many more special birthdays to celebrate here with us.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

41 comments:

Jeni said...

What a beautiful birthday post/tribute to your Mom! What type of cancer does she have? It is amazing what can be done today to give more quality of life as well as quantity to those who have Cancer, as well as many other diseases too. I am a five-year survivor now of colo-rectal cancer, the disease that ravaged my Mom 29 years ago. Credit the fact mine was discovered in time along with the treatments now available too on that though.
Wish your Mom a very Happy Birthday from me and many more years of enjoying life and family.

Rebecca Ramsey said...

She's gorgeous! Just like you.
And she sounds like such a strong, wonderful lady!
Happy Birthday to her!

Laski said...

OK. So I'm a wee bit emotional. Please give your mom a big hug (and I am so not a hugger!). She is beautiful and wonderful and so full of life and love . . .

Amazing. And you, her baby girl, a true testament to who she is.

lime said...

my goodness but what and amazing and admirable woman. so glad she is still with you too!

wishing her a very beautiful birthday.

Kat said...

Jeni- My mom has Multiple Myeloma. She was diagnosed as stage three (which is the last stage) and miraculously her cell counts are now down to normal. She has amazed all of her doctors, friends and family. And we are so glad she did. :) Thanks for asking.

So glad to hear you are a survivor! Congratulations! :)

Lisa said...

Kathryn....go & print that for your mom, please. Put it with her birthday gift. I promise she'll read it again and again, and it will be her most favorite gift!

dawn klinge said...

What a beautiful tribute to your mom. Happy Birthday Kathryn's mom!

Kat said...

Lisa- That is a really good idea. I am planning on surprising her with a cake while she is at choir practice and I think I'll give it to her then. Great idea! :)

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

What a beautiful post for a beautiful lady!

Happy birthday to your mom!

Unknown said...

That is just so sweet and she is beautiful! She looks like barbie in her wedding picture...and I mean that in the most complimentary way!

Mom24 said...

What a blessing. I'm so glad she's doing well. I'm so thankful she's in your lives.

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Happy Birthday Mom! I did not know this K. My Mom also has (2 types) of cancer and I too, cherish each and every moment.

This was beautiful.

Stephanie said...

What beautiful words! Happy Birthday to your mother. And my goodness, you guys sure do look alike! Both so beautiful!

Jessa said...

This is such a beautiful tribute to your mother! Happy Birthday to your mom!

Dani said...

From your words and pictures I can tell she is beautiful both inside and out!!! Happy Birthday!!!

Robyn said...

Happy Birthday. Beautiful post.

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures! That was a beautiful tribute.
Happy Birthday to your mom!

Aly @ Lip Zip said...

Happy Birthday Kathryn's Mom! The pictures are so sweet. Thank you for sharing them.

RiverPoet said...

Happy birthday to your mother, and may she be with you for a lot longer. How blessed you all are!

Peace - D

Tammy said...

Happy Birthday to your Mom. What a wonderful post. :)

Kellan said...

Happy Birthday to your beautiful mother!! This was a very sweet tribute to her. I hope she had a wonderful day!

Take care - Kellan

Molly's Mom said...

Happy, happy day to your mom! Now I'm all verklempt...
From all I see on the 'net, you are truly blessed :)

Blog said...

Wow! Happy birthday to your mom! She's AMAZING! Very inspiring woman.... May she have many more happy, healthy birthdays. :)

Debbie in CA : ) said...

Time wrapped in love -- the best gift of all! : ) Happy Birthday to Mum!

Siobhan said...

I can totally see from these photos that you have your Mum's eyes. And it's said, the eyes are the window to the soul. I see a lot of your Mum in you too. And that's the truth.

Karen Coutu said...

Awww! I am so glad you still have your mother with you. I hope her day was wonderful!!

Karen of the MomDot Street Team
www.MomDot.com

Rachel said...

This is a beautiful tribute -- I hope you share this with her. She definitely needs to read it!

PSF - My Mommy is Crazie!

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

What a beautiful post! Happy Birthday to the mom of one of my favorite people! =)

imbeingheldhostage said...

Happy Birthday Kat's mom!! I was about to shout, "you look just like her!" but then I looked back at the photo of your Dad and thought I could see you there too. I'm rambling, aren't I!

Mel said...

Wow...just an amazingly beautiful post about an amazingly beautiful woman. How blessed both you and she are!

Kat said...

Aww. Thanks everyone! Mom had a lovely birthday. I surprised her at her choir rehearsal last night with a cake and flowers and I printed out this post and gave it to her too. She was a happy lady.
I wanted to make sure this birthday was very special for her because it is her first birthday without my dad living with her. He would always try and make her birthday special and obviously this year he couldn't do that. But he was in good spirits when she visited him and the rest of her day was lovely too.
Thanks for all the wonderful comments my bloggy friends!

Jill said...

Wow - mom was a HOTTIE on her wedding day - and dad was a looker too!! Hope she had a great day!

Kristen said...

Happy Happy Birthday to your mom! What an amazing mother she is. And I am sure that if you asked her she would say she has a pretty amazing daughter too!! :)

(I tried to leave the comment yesterday, but each time I hit publish it said blogger was unavailable. Sorry this is a day late!)

Roxy Wishum said...

Kathryn, I am sorry to be a day late adding my birthday wishes for your mom. I LOVE your mom! I know her greatest gift is seeing the mature woman you have become and how great you are at recognizing the important things in life and putting them into words so that all of us can read and nod our heads, thinking...."exactly!" How touching that you gave her these printed words that show your love and understanding. Why don't we do that more?

The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

What a wonderful daughter you are! I wish your mom many, many more years of happiness and birthday candles to blow out.

Hilary said...

Wishing her many, many more.

just jamie said...

This is so special Kat. You have her kind eyes, and smile. Hope her day was lovely. What an inspiration she is.

Anonymous said...

Oh, Kathryn, how beautiful! How wonderful, too, that you know to appreciate every single second that you have with your mom. Here's wishing many, many more birthdays to this strong woman.

Unknown said...

I cherish my mother SO much more now that I am one! What a sweet tribute to her on her special day.

P.S. you have her eyes! : ) (but you probably already new that...)

Kelly said...

Happy Birthday to your mom!!! I hope she has many many happy birthdays to come.

Fire Hunt said...

What a beautiful post.

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson