I Am My Mother’s Daughter

Who am I?
I am brave.
I am a free spirit.
I am beautifully imperfect.
I am loving.
I am wonderfully weird.
I am a daydreamer.
I am real…what you see is what you get.
I am my mother’s daughter.
– Jane Emily

Yesterday I was in a store and I walked past a mirror and had to do a double take. I look so much like my mom that I thought I was seeing her for a moment. Looking back, I realize I WAS seeing her. Her beautiful face looks out through my own. We share so many of the same features. What a gift that was given to me. Now, when I am missing her, all I have to do is look in the mirror because there she is, looking right back at me. She left her mark on my life in so many ways. She taught me what it means to love with abandon. Love without expecting anything in return. What a beautiful legacy. I AM MY MOTHER’S DAUGHTER.

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I hope you have a blessed holiday and a happy new year!  Don’t let your circumstances define your happiness.  Happiness lives within you.

 

A Special Bond

Did I tell you my mom owned 5 kittens before she died? I had recently visited her and fell in love with one of them. My husband was not excited about the idea of us taking one (we are still grieving the loss of our dog who passed away January 31, 2012). In fact, he said “No,” when I asked if we could take one.

One kitty in particular had already stolen my heart. I spent the weekend of March 16-18 taking pictures of her and playing with her.

After my mom passed away, I told my husband, “You know, you have to let me have this kitten now.” His simple reply was, “Yes.” So, that’s that! I now have a sweet kitten! Not just any kitten though. This kitten is special. This kitten was loved and brought into this world with the help of my mom. She was there the entire time mama kitty was giving birth to all these kittens. We were looking at her calendar after she passed and she was documenting important moments in their lives, just like a mother would do with her baby. We share a special bond. We were both loved by my mom. Enjoy the pictures – isn’t she cute?

P.S. I named her Debbie in honor of my mom.