Friday, September 16, 2011

With Gratitude.

This week would have been my Mom's 92nd birthday. Wow! Ninety-two--hard to believe as she was 49 when she passed away. I look at other people I know that are that age, and try to visualize how my mom would look now. I just can't picture it as I keep seeing her looking the same as she was when she passed away, when I was sixteen.
A good friend of mine from high school actually brought my mom up in conversation with me at our class reunion last month. His locker was alphabetically next to to mine all four years so we became real good friends. He told me that he often admired the way I stayed positive and appeared happy while finishing out my school years without a mom. With tears in his eyes, he told me that at the time, he couldn't imagine not having a mom as a teen,  He then went on to say that he thought of me often while raising his own teens.
I was very surprised to hear him share this, and we both had tears running down our cheeks. I hadn't realized at the time that anyone even gave it a thought...no one ever mentioned or brought it up. I'm sure it was too awkward, and they were afraid of making me sad.  But now, 42 years later, he was sweet enough to let me know how he hurt for me, and I was so very touched not only by his sensitivity, but by his thoughtfulness to share it with me all of these years later. It reminded me of "the things we wished we would have shared and didn't" philosophy.
Yes, we were both blubbering by that time, and I hugged him and thanked him for sharing his feelings and thoughts with me; it just endeared him to me even more:) I told him the reason I was able to go on was because of friends and classmates like him--they made coming to school a thing to look forward to and to embrace. I loved going to school. It made me happy and took me away from the sadness and emptiness of being at home.
 All these years later I look back with such fond memories of my school years, and know that I am who I am today because of the circumstances of my life. All because the people that surrounded me loved  and guided me while not knowing what a difference it would make in my life.
I am so thankful for the angels in my life...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Such a great friend. I tend to "over share" but I like the results when I do... people laugh or think I'm nuts or maybe a bit of both.

Tyne said...

That's a good story, mom! Two of my student's (Senior boy, freshmen girl) mom died the Friday before school started. The funeral was on Labor Day, and they were both in school the first day. Hailey said she needs to be here because it's too sad at home. It made me think of you, and wondered how I would have made it through High School without you!

Kyrstin said...

What a nice story. Glad to see you are back to blogging!