A Day of Remembering

Today is a bittersweet day for us. 

It is the day we remember my Mom.  She would have turned 72 years old today.  A part of me wishes she were here to celebrate and a part of me is so very thankful that she has the privilege of celebrating yet another birthday with her very best friend ever...Jesus.  There are days I ache and still cry...although time does heal and these days are certainly not as frequent as they used to be.

Thanks to Alex, we have a very special flower bed filled with Grandma's flowers.  These flowers grow like weeds...and perhaps they are...but they are oh so very beautiful!   A few years before Mom passed away she gave Alex a small pot of these flowers.  In fall, I threw it out and would you believe it...they grew!...under my deck non the less!  Alex insisted we plant them in an appropriate place...and I'm so glad we did! 

These flowers take me back to when I was very small, walking in my Grandma's garden on a warm Sunday afternoon admiring her beautiful flowers...I wouldn't doubt that is where my Mom first got a clipping from to start her flowers.  I suppose calling this flower bed "Grandma's flowerbed" is very appropriate.

Today is also the day we celebrate arriving home with our mischievous and giggly Malia!  Malia has grown in leaps and bounds and she continues to amaze us.  She is incredibly strong and unbelievably happy!  In the past 6 months Malia has really begun to understand her value in our family and that she has the same rights as everyone else.  She finally has the courage to express more of her wants.  This has taken years of us reassuring and insisting on her asking for things. 

I wait for the day that she expresses all her deepest thoughts.  Recently she made a comment about having a sad song in her head...she is constantly making up songs.  I replied that I would prefer if her song was a happy one, to which she responded, "Oh Mom!  It's not AS sad a song as when I was little!"   After some more thought she said, " Mom, someday I'm gonna tell you all things that are in my head."

It blesses my heart to see her continue to grow in trusting us...and it scares me...I hope I'm ready with all the right words, actions, etc when Malia finally does decided to share her thoughts.  Thankfully I have an awesome God by my side!  

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"  Philippians 4 :13