Birthday Wishes

    

                                            Birthday Wishes

    It was my thirtieth birthday. I really wanted to go home and hide, until it was over. Here I was in my apartment listening to a serenade of a generic Happy Birthday, from a few friends on my answering machine. Not one came in person. Was I really that bad?

    My significant other had forgotten my birthday too. A cupcake I picked up at the bakery that I blew out the candles on and a bottle of champagne in my hand took out the sting. Quite a few glasses later I was feeling quite mellow. At some point I passed out.

I awoke to a frog looking at me.

“Why was your birthday wish that I was a frog?” my boyfriend Trevor asked.

     I looked at him in surprise then I remembered he’d forgotten my birthday and smiled. Prince charming he was not but he’d have a nice new home in a terrarium I bought the other day.

©Sheilagh Lee May 28,2012

(Don't worry I really don't have the power to do this today not would I want to.This is just the gift of  a story for all my loyal readers in honour of my Birthday.)

M is for Mother

M is for Magnificence 

Her beauty well known, but inside and outside my mother was beautiful. She shared with everyone her four tips for being a good person. The four tips tolerance, compassion, empathy and courage.

 O is for the Optimism she taught so well. That even when times were bad things would get better.

Many times when I was young my mother scrambled to find the money for food but she always found a way to have the food on the table. We never went hungry and if any neighbour needed some food she found some for them.

T is for the Tolerance she gave to all.

My mother would say to me whenever I wondered why people were mean, try to put yourself in their shoes. Did they have a bad day? Do they have a bad home life? Has anyone ever been nice to them? Is there any way you can make their day better?

H is for the Happiness she spread

Everyone loved my mother. I know a lot people say that about their mothers but with mine it was true. Total strangers became friends to her and she showed them kindness. Her friendship was valued as she would help if needed and just be there.

E is for the energy she always had

She had an inner energy that burned brightly like a candle that seemed like it would never go out. 

When I was a child we went on nature walks for miles (km for Canadians now) that she would make so much fun. Talking of the types of trees foliage and in summer picking berries by the side of country roads (you’d never do that today but then you could pick berries).

R is for resilience that she had

She had a lot of strife and many hard times that would have broken most people but she never gave up, she just continued on showing her children that belief that things would get better and that there is always a solution. If those don’t work that make your peace and accept what you cannot change with grace and love. Always be there for your children.

This was my mother. I was fortunate, as was all my siblings to have the best mother ever. Even though she’s gone, I know she’s not far away 

                   so

Happy Mother’s Day Mom
©Sheilagh Lee May 11,2012