Today, St Patrick's Day, was Mom's birthday ("Bird Day")... we loved getting dressed up in green every year to celebrate this phenomenal woman!! My Mom taught me so much and inspired me so much through her daily acts of selfLESSness... she sacrificed so many of her wants in order to care for all of our needs. As I was thanking God in prayer today for blessing me with an extraordinary Mom I started thinking about how many times when we chase our wants (I'm talking about selfish wants, not healthy wants) it results in hurting ourselves or others, but when we refuse the selfish wants in order to make ourselves take care of the selfLESS needs of others & ourselves it leads to enriched lives. My Mom is my 2nd biggest hero in my life (2nd only to Jesus), and I followed her example of picking needs over wants by staying here in Florida for the past 30 years to be here for my parents' needs as they aged when in my heart of hearts, in my deepest desires, & perhaps in my most selfish wants I wanted to live in the mountains of TN, north GA, or NC... today I watched a highlight video from my Mom's Celebration of Life Service 2 years ago and saw picture after picture of cherished moments & sacred memories I would have missed if I moved away. I didn't stay because I wanted to. I stayed because I needed to (and they needed me to). Like George Bailey in "A Wonderful Life" I just wanted so deeply to go chase this inner want to leave where I grew up and go explore other places, but the need to stay and help my parents, and be here for them like they were always there for me, and to not leave my Sister here alone to be the sole Caregiver all kept me from going and doing what I really deeply wanted to do. As I watched that video today and saw cherished moment after cherished moment with my parents, with my family, with my friends I experienced that George Bailey "Wonderful Life" moment, and tears of joy rolled down my cheeks. I didn't want to stay, but I'm so glad I did! Thank you Mom for living out that example in front of me... you are one of my greatest heroes!! I miss you and I love you!! Happy BIRD DAY in Heaven BIRDDOG!! Give Dad a big DUG HUG from me! I know he picked flowers for you today ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
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