Today is Mom’s birthday. I read through what I wrote last year, and while I could have reposted that today, it struck me that it is not a day to dwell on the sorrow of dementia. Nope. Today is a today to celebrate something a little deeper.

Mom has been, my whole life, a force. She had a brilliant mind and a wicked fast wit. She could catch you completely off guard with a zinger that would set of laughter you couldn’t stop. She structured our home life around family: family dinners and Biblestudies, vacations and just “being” together. I still think about Friday nights as pizza nights and watching Dallas in the family room.

Our family is a story-telling family, and I think we owe much of that to Mom. She loved her family and often told us stories about “My Mama”, her grandmother, and how she would sit with her in the day and work in the garden. We knew that we came from some pretty special people.

The character and the determination and the wit and the intellect that was part of Mom’s heritage is part of who we are now. Part of the strength of Mom and all the stories she told is mixed with all the character and strength of Dad’s family…and it has resulted in a pretty great group.

Every holiday we have and each gathering still has a bit of Mom’s imprint. She may not be able to hold the memories together with clarity now, but we still do. We are the fruit of her efforts, and while there were difficult days and disagreements and frustrations…as with any family…there is so much laughter and such closeness.

I’m immensely blessed to have been raised by this woman.  I hate what dementia has done to her mind, but I know that there are moments when she is with us still…moments when she delights in the grandchildren..

Moments when she delights in simply being herself.

Thinking of her, and of Dad, and of all the family today. Thinking of wonderful memories of moments of laughter or of conversation or of delight and thanking God for the life of Janie Mossman. Hoping for more moments of her being truly herself this coming year, and for God’s grace to be gracious to her this coming year. Happy Birthday, Mom.