Mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease about 20 years ago. We had been so worried about her disease that we forgot to love her. Just love her and be present for her, not only to take care of her. I have also been so focused on dad’s stroke I forgot to be there for that beautiful woman. That woman that has taken me a lifetime to understand, to fully see. I always remember her stoic, strong, always there, always ready for whatever was needed. Her temperament, her seriousness, her always pushing me to be better, nothing was good enough. All those rules about what a lady does or doesn’t do. Her way of worrying for who needed her the most, so many times I felt that was not fair, everybody needed her. There were so many things in the way in my heart and my mind, I forgot to appreciate how amazingly special she is. I remember my house full of people, of course us we were seven kids that was more than enough adding to that, were our friends always around. I do not remember her complaining about having to feed all of us plus one, two, three more people very often, sometimes daily. She was always kind to my friends, most of them remember at least once when mom did something extra special for them. Like picking them up when we were in junior high because they were sick and both of their parents worked, or making their favorite dish to celebrate their birthdays, or praying with them because something was going wrong in their lives. I was so worried about what was going wrong in my life that I let go of the things that were so right and my mother has been so right in my life.
**she has always being the wind beneath my wings! **