Days 169-173 To My Mom

My last surviving grandfather passed away this past Friday after Thanksgiving. His funeral was yesterday. Right before the funeral my mom asked me if I would read a letter about him that she had written. Of course my other two sisters said that they “couldn’t” do it, so that left me. And I did it. I got up there in front of a ton of people and read aloud the last words that described my grandfather to the core. I almost made it to the end without crying, but that’s okay – I recovered and finished the letter. After the funeral, Mr. Strong asked me if I had written the letter and I responded with a “no, mom asked me to read it because she couldn’t get the words out…” He looked me square in the eyes and asked “you’re not afraid of anything are you?” And I replied with a”No. No I am not.”

But you know what, I was terrified. My stomach was so nervous that I felt like I needed to find a bathroom asap! Public speaking is a fear of mine – one that I am working on. See, the thing is, something in my body takes over the moment that I KNOW something needs to be done even though I am terrified to the core. I guess you would call that courage – knowing when something is greater and more important than my fear. Was it the hardest thing that I have ever done? No. Speaking for my brother at his funeral was the hardest thing that I have ever accomplished in my life. Where does it come from?

My mom – period! My mom is the strongest women that I know. Strong in the sense of raising 4 children on her own… Strong in the sense that no matter what, she always let us know that someone was far worse off than we were… Strong in the sense that she was there the whole time AND in the final moments of her mother, son and stepfather while they were dying in a Hospice bed… Strong in the sense that she has dedicated most of her life to the medical profession… Strong in the sense that she has NOT let any of her traumatic witnessed experiences get her down… I could go on and on, but simply put, I get my courage from my mom.

Today is a short and somber post for me.

I hope you find the courage you need to accomplish something you thought impossible. Whatever it is in your life that you are afraid to start, have, be or do, I encourage you to look beyond your initial fears into a world of limitless possibilities. I hope that in your lifetime you will be a person that is admired and written about because of the fears you conquered.

Today? I will continue to follow my dreams, workout, drink more water and relish in the fact that the possibilities for me while I am here on this earth are in fact, infinite.

What does today hold for you?

(I encourage everyone to donate to their local Hospice Centers. We have used Hospice care 3 times for 3 different family members and their services are desperately needed and appreciated! I you don't have one, here are two of my local Hospice and HomeHospice organizations that need your help! )