If Roses Grow

Hello, I came across this saying a friend posted in memory of her mother at Christmas and had to share it with all of you. I edited it for both of my Parents. This time of year is, at times, still hard for me, as I am sure it is for all of you who have lost loved ones. It has been 3 yrs since my mother passed, and although I have come to accept it, and the pain has eased, sometimes I think my grief is still a bit on the surface and it comes upon me when I least expect it. The obvious reason is the loss of traditions and norms that you share with your loved ones for so many years, and then like that, they're gone. I've learned that loss can be on many levels. I remember my Mother always looking so forward to our Holiday family gatherings. Even though in her elderly years she lived on small means with her disability check, she still managed to always have something to give her 6 children and 10 grandchildren. She always had my sister take her to do her Christmas shopping because they were one in the same, they could shop for hours and look for the bargains, not me! She would always buy a new sweater or blouse to wear on Christmas day and show me ahead of time. She would then go out and get her hair done. And until now I never realized how much I would miss the way she prepared for the Holidays. How I miss that she was really showing us how much it meant to her to just be with all of her grown children and grandchildren, because even though she saw us all throughout the year, it was not that often that we would all be together. My Father left us to early, I was only 23 when he passed, but I remember he always provided all six of his children with a great Christmas, many special memories as well. How I miss their sweet souls, miss them oh so much. So yes, Lord, this Christmas place some roses in my Mother and Father's arms and tell them they're from me, and whisper in their ear that I was so blessed they were here for me.
Thanks for visiting,
Janet

The Gift Of Wings

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all enjoying the holidays. I have been doing some reflecting on my life lately, to help me to continue to strive to be a better person, work on my shortcomings, you know all that good stuff!! Now that it is the Christmas season I have been reflecting about my Mom and Dad a lot. Looking back to the Christmas's I had growing up with them. I remember not always getting what I wanted and feeling a little sad. But as I grew I realized my Father did the best he could. God bless him, because he was the only one working and had 6 Children to buy for. His last Christmas he was so generous with all of us. He was sick with Heart Disease and he knew he could leave us at anytime having reached the 10 yr mark that the Doctors had given him. Then after he was gone my Mother, who lived on little means with her disability check, still managed to give her 6 children and 10 grandchildren all a little gift. I always got a pair of socks from her and to some people that may seem silly, but to me it was her way of still trying to take care of me as if I was still her little girl. And now that she is gone my sister carries on her tradition of giving me a new pair of sox's every Christmas and it makes me smile and tear up a little at the same time and I love her for that. But as I have been reflecting on these memories I am thinking mostly about the gifts they were really giving me. The gifts of appreciating what you have been given and doing the best you can to give no matter how big or small. Gifts that last a lifetime. I know too that they are still giving me the best gift they can, the gift of their Angel Wings around me.
Thank you for reading this special post
as part of the Merry Christmas Celebration,
Love ya,
Janet :)