Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

 

So Obviously, this is a few years ago, and a few lbs. ago.  Jeez. This picture is missing Jason.  I think he was catering this event at the church.  Nonetheless, here is Mom.  Entertaining Grandchildren, as she always has since they were born.  Singing them songs, rocking them to sleep, putting them in "glad rags" and making sure they know where they have come from.  Eleven of them.  Sung to sleep by her lullabies.  Patted on the butts, lotioned up, and made sure they were fed til they were full.  Grandchildren.  Eleven.  She is Grammie to ten, and Grannie to one.  Austie.  Austin, who has aspergers, he calls her Grannie.  (And that's ok.)  Grammie is patient.  She lets Regan and Jackson help her make egg salad.  She will let Erin and Kailey play Go Fish with her until each of them have won a round so its fair.  She has sat through numerous games of baseball and hockey for Brennan, Gannon, Max, and Jack. She has sat outside in the freezing cold in Wisconsin to watch Cece play soccer in the early hours of the morning.   She has attended Irish Feis for Mary, Erin, Rylee, Regan, and Kailey despite the fact she has openly admitted the music of those venues makes her eye twitch. 

This is love.

She has stood by my Father day in and day out, supported his every move, or done a good job pretending to do so.

This is love.

She has been the rock of our family, strong, standing with my Father, from day one...and I look up to her...hoping one day, I can be half of the person she is.

She has been my saving grace more than once.  Most recently when I had my stroke.  I rode to the ER in the ambulance, and I knew in my mind what was happening all along, and I could not speak it to my husband, the doctors...anyone.  I was scared as hell.

Matt sat there watching them work and kept telling me it was ok and that Mom and Dad and Jamie were in the waiting room.  I wanted them in there with me.

I couldn't say it though.  Finally, I could, and I said, please get them.  When they came, I cried.  BP went up, Mom was there at my side, and kissed my cheek and said "settle down...we are here."  That is ALL I needed to hear.

My family is my life.  Not a day goes by since September 13, 2012 that I don't thank God that I have my Mom, my Dad, and my sister, my brother, my husband, and my girls here.

I am blessed.  A trillion times blessed.  This Mother's Day, I find myself thankful that my heel and foot are giving me such pain.  Its a reminder of sorts.  I have to get that AFO this week in Des Moines.  Been putting it off.  Don't want to wear it, and haven't been paying attention to my body, and so here we are.  Dear God, I am thankful for all that I have. 

I love you, Janice Ann Berg, to the moon and all the way back.  You are the reason I made it back out of that stroke like I did along with Dad and Matt, Jamie, Jason, and all of my family near and far. You are the reason I am here today, and you are amazing for never giving up on me when I know you very well could have.

I love you Mom.

To the moon and back.

Don't you ever forget that.

<3