Paid with pain, short and sweet, intro, still like it, two years

Yesterday at the gym I rebooted my more serious endurance training doing a running/riding brick.  I have been rewarded for my effort with a solid block of pain that starts in my lower right back and extends through the hip to my knee.  It’s not unexpected.

So I took a serious look at road trip options yesterday.  My original idea of going up the east coast all the way to Maine just was not going to be feasible due to a lack of days available.  We would have been sleeping somewhere different every night with limited time to enjoy much of anything.  Cindy came up with the idea of doing a much more abbreviated trip that only takes us as far north as Ashville, NC with additional stops at Myrtle Beach and Savannah.

I have never made any effort to see stuff in any of these states, they were just road real estate I had to travel through to get to my other destinations.  The total amount of driving we will be doing is a tiny fraction of what we covered last year.  It will be a different feeling type of trip for sure but it’s better than no road trip at all.

Yesterday I used an online service to create a snappy intro to front many of my YouTube videos.  It was something I had intended to do for quite awhile.  I was originally going to try to make something myself but dropping 5 bucks to have it looking more pro was worth it to me.

So Saturday will mark the two year anniversary of my mom passing away.  Although the 13th is the actual date, to me, yesterday the 10th of August was really the day I lost Mom.  The 13th was just the day the life support was removed.  In some ways it still seems impossible that my mom isn’t around although my mind has more or less adjusted to the reality after this much time.

I have a picture of her and I at her 50th birthday party in my office that Cindy framed and gave to me.  I look at it every morning when I come in.  It affects me differently from day to day.  It can make me smile or tear up randomly, I just never know.  It is also amazing to me that I am only a little more than a year away from being the same age as Mom was when that picture was taken.

As I was rummaging through my digital stuff I came across what I said about Mom at the remembrance we held at Lowdermilk Park.  I don’t remember if I ever shared it before but here it is.

As I stare here at a blank page, trying to figure out how you are supposed to represent the life of your mother in a few paragraphs, I am struggling.  How do you describe an entire lifetime of love and support that a mother provides for her children?

As her son I knew Mom as a loving parent who time and again would do the best that she could to ensure I was provided for.  She truly was my rock solid foundation.  No matter what situation or trouble I found myself in I could always count on my mom to support me when I needed it  and to tell me when I was acting dumb when I deserved it.

My mom’s hard work ethic, sense of responsibility, kindness, and humor are all qualities that she passed on to her children which I am eternally grateful for. 

I have many fond memories of mom growing up like our annual  vacations to Rehoboth Beach, countless afternoons spent at the Green Valley pool, and our Christmas Eve family dinners where mom did all of the work with little acclaim, while my grandfather complained that he didn’t like eating by candlelight because he couldn’t see his food.

When my parents divorced, mom was thrust from the role of a housewife into that of a family provider overnight.  She was able to build a long and successful career as a salesperson using nothing more than her honesty, friendliness and smile. 

I was proud of my mom when she took the brave step over 10 years ago of leaving Pennsylvania to join me here in Florida.  She loved Florida winters and having a surplus of sunshine year round.  She also was able to make a new circle of good friends here in Florida, many of which are here today.  I know my mom cherished these relationships.

Mom was lucky enough to see her children have children of their own.  I know my sister has relied on my mom time and again for advice as she raises her own two beautiful children.  My dogs, Nicki & Sadie loved their grandma.  As soon as Nicki would spot my mom she would grab a toy as a gift and rush towards her with her tail wagging uncontrollably.    

I was most recently proud of my mom after she decided to finally give up cigarettes cold turkey in January, something I had always wanted her to do since I was a young boy.  I used to hide or even throw her cigarettes out, until I got punished for doing it of course.  For her to finally quit smoking on her own was very special to me.

Anybody that knew my mom knows that despite her far too soon sudden passing, it is exactly the way she would have wanted it to be with no pain and no suffering. 

One time when I was discussing aspects of life with my mom she told me that she judged how successful her life was by the type of people her children grew up to be.  She told me she was content that she did a good job. 

Based on the outpouring of love, support and kindness I have witnessed the last several days for my mom I think she can rest peacefully, knowing she touched the lives of so many people in a positive way.