An Open Letter From Mom

To My Dearest Family,

It’s 5am and I’m up ~ you’d think that I’d want to sleep in especially on Mother’s Day, but not me.  It’s the perfect day for me to arise extra early and to just enjoy the peace and satisfaction that being a Mom has brought to me.  As I walked around the still house this morning, I quietly snuck into your rooms, fixed your blankets and gently kissed your sweet, sleeping faces.  I stood for a moment, staring at each of you, thinking how blessed I am to have you here with me.  For you see, I never thought I wanted to be a mom because my childhood wasn’t perfect and I didn’t think I’d be strong enough to be a good Mom.  It’s a shameful secret that I’ve carried for years in my heart.  Even when your Dad and I decided to become parents, I feared my dysfunctional past would affect you.

But, my love for your Dad made me believe in myself and we decided to try and God blessed us almost immediately with one son, soon followed by our second.

As I get my coffee and sit quietly in the family room, I look around at the soccer stuff piled in the corner and I smile.  Normally it would aggravate me to have so much all over, but nothing can change my gratitude today for it means that you are physically able to play sports, you are learning about being a part of a team and as a family, we are well enough to participate in your lives.  Your schoolbooks on the counter make me proud of all you’ve accomplished academically as well.  The emptied garbage can reminds me of how responsible you are and how proud I am that we work together as a family.

I look outside and I am reminded of days gone by with the swingset in the yard ~ how many happy moments did we spend with you!  Hearing your squeals of delight and demands of  “Push me higher!’ arise from my memory.  Time has flown by my dear sons.  It used to be that I carried you from place to place.  Scooping you up into my arms to tickle you or smother your faces with kisses.  Now I lay my head on your shoulders when we hug.  No matter how tall you get, you are still my precious little boys.

Today we will gather together and I will enjoy every blessed moment as you give me your special handmade cards with your heartfelt messages.  Knowing me, I will cry as usual and you will all laugh at me for being so sentimental ~ and I will smile through my tears ~ grateful for your loving embraces.  For you see, it’s all I’ve ever wanted although it’s taken me such a long time to realize it.

I only ever wanted to be a good Mom to you.

But it is to both of you,  to all of you (hubby included), to whom the gratitude belongs ~ to whom I should thank from my heart.

For in being your Mom, I am healed.  Your love and trust in me, made me a better person than I can even have hoped to be.  With your childhoods, I was able to heal my own.  For every happy hug you unconditionally gave me, a little piece of my heart healed and I felt loved as I gave love unconditionally.

Being your Mom allowed me to correct the past and to forge a perfect childhood for you ~ and for me.  That gift of being present with you was indeed a gift to myself as well.

Last night I thanked your Dad for making me a Mom and for believing in me.  I thanked him for helping me to raise our 2 incredible sons for whom we are so grateful and so proud.  You are 99% angels and 1% imps which is the perfect of combinations!

I am blessed to have given birth to you both and it is my pleasure to be blessed by you in my life.  It is you who made me a Mom and made this facet of my life so magical.  Every scrape, every boo boo that I kissed away, every triumph, and every single moment with you has been priceless to me.

So even though it’s Mother’s Day and it’ supposed to be all about the Moms ~ today it’s really about You ~ My Family!  For without a family, there would be no need for a Mom.

You Complete Me!

I Love You All!

Shine On!

xo

 

Daily Prompt: Hi, Mom! Today is Mother’s Day in the United States. Wherever in the world you are, write your mother a letter. Photographers, share a photo that says mothering. http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/daily-prompt-mom/

Daily Prompt ~ My Eulogy

I know I’ve already posted today, but I couldn’t resist…I mean, what is it that you’d like your eulogy to say?  I just think that the concept is so thought-provoking and even life changing that I had to do it….so please indulge me…this is what I’d like mine to say…and this is what I’m striving for in my life. ❤

I would love to see yours as well…just click on the link below and post your eulogy today!

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/01/25/daily-prompt-eulogy/

Misifusa was born wearing rose-colored glasses ~ always the dreamer, she looked to romance, to daydreams and to possibilities and never let go of the word HOPE.  She hardly ever arrived early to any appointment nor meeting in her life with the one exception ~ her wedding ~ to which she arrived early as she was so happy to be marrying her husband whom she loved with all of her heart.  He stood by her throughout her lifetime, always standing by her side, holding her hand and lending her his strength when she was weak.  Theirs was a special love ~ a mutual understanding as only 2 Pisces can merge and unite.  Their wedding song was to be a theme throughout their lifetime together, “I love you just the way you are,” and they radiated that love and kinship throughout their blessed marriage.

Misifusa was blessed with 2 incredible sons with her husband.  She adored them and was so proud of who they are ~ she enjoyed every moment with them and always saw the best in them.  Their house was filled with love and peacefulness.  She always felt so grateful that she was blessed with their sons.  They brought her much joy, laughter and peace.

She also enjoyed her cats and felt an amazing bond with most animals, with the big exception of snakes and birds.  She was fond of fresh flowers and had an array of orchids growing in her home.  She disliked housework and cooking and enjoyed a good meal out with her family ~ laughing and smiling.  She was fond of calling her faults “her charms” and many wished she weren’t so ‘charming’ but she found it whimsical and fun to love her whole self.

People naturally flocked to her and she always rooted for the underdog.  She loved helping others and listening to their stories.  Nothing made her happier than when she could make a difference in someone else’s life.  She adored helping them to shift their thinking and to help them to see the light in the darkness.  She strove to shine like a star in the darkest night, hoping that by her example, she could inspire others to find faith, hope, love and joy in their everyday lives.

She survived breast cancer and other health issues which knocked her down for a bit, but she overcame them with sheer endurance and lots of love from her family and her talented doctors.  Her role as the peace-maker was self-given and she reveled in trying to help others to find peace in their lives and with others.  She felt her intuitiveness and found strength in her faith, relying on angelic help when she encountered sadness.

She enjoyed her SendOutCards business as it brought her much joy to send out love to others.  Her published books were a cathartic writing which was well-received by readers all over the globe.  She loved revisiting Spain where she had lived for a time and spoke fluent Spanish which she taught for 11 years in the public school system.  She found peace at the beach, watching the waves roll in.  She loved being on the water and would awaken early just to watch the sunrise in the peacefulness of the mornings with her cup of coffee.

She loved her family and friends and drew great strength from them as well.  She adored singing, reading, writing and relaxing with family and friends.  At times she could be fearless, but mostly she was conservative in her actions to her chagrin.  She launched the highly successful The Presents of Presents and could often be found traveling the world after her boys graduated college.  She was grateful for everyday and her mantra was:  Yesterday was the past, tomorrow is the future.  Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called THE PRESENT.

❤ ❤ ❤

Fur Therapy Gratitude

purrrfect…fur therapy

Gratitude to Chessie and Tiffany!

Thanksgiving is a day about giving thanks for everything and everyone…but I believe we can continue that gratitude all year long.  So for today, I have to take a moment to give thanks for my sons (this is an old picture of them) and my ‘daughters’ who give us amazing comfort that we call fur therapy in our home.

My ‘girls’ are 2 cats who freely give such amazing blessings simply by being present for me, day in and day out.  My elder daughter is Francesca Maria but we call her Chessie.  Originally she was named Mary and was a stray found in a field 16 years ago when we adopted her.  Chessie was COVERED in fleas at 3 months old and very skittish.  My husband had finally agreed that we could get a pet, but he conceded  with the caveat that he really wanted the cat to be white.  I went to the cat adoption agency and looked at the white cat that they had advertised…but as I walked past the cages of cats, this one little one meeped (my word for a small meow) and it caught my ear.  I turned to see our darling Chessie in a cage with many cats.  She pushed her head against the cage so that I could put my fingers in to pet her head.  Just then, the woman in charge asked if I wanted to hold her…my sister had come with me and we laughed knowing that this kitten only had a small spot of white on her chin ~ the rest of her was pure tabby colored!

Well, so the story goes, when I held her for the first time, our hearts beat together, she purred into my shoulder and chest and I knew I was her Mommy.  My sister then held her and the same happened…when my hubby arrived, I was holding her and he asked where the white cat was ~ to which in my infinite charming way I answered that she was indeed white…on her chin!  I passed her onto to him and as he held her, she purred into his shoulder as well and home she came with us!

Chessie and ‘Daddy’ are best pals and have been since she came home with us 16 years ago.  She’s been Daddy’s girl since the first day when they played ‘tag’ on the stairs in our first home.  We found out that she was part Maine Coon and part Tabby which explains why she topped the scales at 15 lbs at one point.  She adores ice cubes, hopping in the shower after my hubby and sleeping on us at night.  She became Mama’s Girl when I endured breast cancer and napped my way through chemo.  She stayed by my side as I slept away the hours, her trusty purr rumbling in my heart as she slept on top of me, keeping me warm and comforted.  I was never alone ~ she made sure.  Now at age 16, she is slower these days, but still enjoys the water, sleeping on all of us (boys included) and has lost most of her weight as she’s aged.  She’s now everyone’s girl, enjoying being pet by whomever wants a snuggle.

Almost 5 years ago, the white cat finally made it to our home and with her entrance, our cat family was complete.  Tiffany is an American Bobtail whose enthusiasm for anything ribbon or shoelace has made our home cat proofed.  No longer do ribbons adorn presents in our home as Tiffany has a sweet tooth for them ~ certain types of shoelaces also are a kitty treat which has disgruntled hubby a few times when his dress shoe laces disappeared as we realized they were chewed down to the actual shoes.  But barring her puppy chewing tendencies (I think she may be a bit confused), she has brought joy to our family in her own right.  She is very vocal, calling “Mama” from the other side of the house when I’ve dared to go into another room while she was sleeping.  She can do tricks as taught by my younger son.  She can sit, stand, beg and stay.  She’s very food motivated and she’s topped the scales at 15 lbs as well.  I guess you could say we like our cats stocky! 🙂

Tiffy, breeder born, is more wild-cat than Chessie who was actually born in a field.  Tiffy scratches by her food everyday, burying it instinctively so that nobody else will find and eat her portion.  In fact, I believe she thinks I’m foolish when I leave my cup of coffee unattended on the coffee table in the living room as everyday, she will jump on the table and ‘bury’ my coffee cup so that nobody else can sip it!  Because it makes me giggle, sometimes I do it to see if she will ‘take care of my coffee’ and she never lets me down!

I would love to say that my girls get along fabulously, but alas, that’s not truly the case.  While Chessie tolerates the little upstart in our home, Tiffy tries to get Chessie to play and keep her young.  At least, that’s my take on the situation.  Occasionally we’ll have a little ‘cat fight’ where the girls bat at eachother and then chase eachother with a little hiss here and there, but for the most part, they are friendly.  As the weather cools, most likely you’ll find them up on our bed, each on a side, curled up warm and happy.  Because you know, we are only their servants here!

Fur therapy is that special happiness we get when we hug our pets…their unconditional love and happiness upon greeting us when we enter our home everyday makes their cat brand of love special.  I know people talk about how wonderful dogs are, but cats have it going as well.  Yes, they are independent, but they are also comforting.  As I walk into the house, I always call for my girls and they come to greet me ~ unless of course, they are cat napping on my bed and are dreaming of catnip and laces!

Do you have a pet?  Have you gotten any fur therapy lately?  I highly recommend it!

xo