A Weekend Trip to Maine

My Mom and I have always been close. She worked

extra hard when I was growing up to keep our

communications open. She was ALWAYS available

when I needed her. She would

talk with me for hours when I was a

teenager and EVERYTHING was a crisis.

We used to take, what we would call, "Fun Girl" trips

throughout high school and college. We went

to see football games together, so that I could

watch a boy I had a crush on play.

We went to visit colleges together.

We went to Niagara Falls, Maine, Pennsylvania.

Wherever we went, we always had fun.

Then, she and my dad moved away. I got married. We had
our kids. We were still "Fun Girls", but we didn't take any
more trips together.
Foolishly, I thought we'd have time once the kids
were older, once things settled down, became less hectic.
Last October, my view on life and time together
changed forever. No longer was my life unlimited
time. No longer could I say, "We can do
that next year, next month, next week."
I believe without a doubt that I am the person
that I am because of my mother. She put all of her love,
time and energy into me. She loved without
selfishness. She gave to me with no thought of
her own needs. She encouraged me to be
whatever I wanted. Her life was a reflection of
love and faith. The type of love and faith that I hope to impart
to my own children. Last spring, she read
an article about a clam festival in Maine. She cut it
out thinking it might be fun. She thought I might enjoy it.
I thought, we should enjoy it, together.
Last weekend we took a "Fun Girl" trip
to Maine. We staid right on
the ocean.
We ate at lots of fun restaurants that she had read
about. We took a trip to Yarmouth, to
the clam festival.
We had fun. We made memories.
We talked about life. We talked about death.
We talked about all of the fun
that we've been blessed enough to have.
We took time to watch the ocean.
Hear the birds. Eat lots of seafood.

We took time to just enjoy each other. We enjoyed

the time that God has given us together.

Although I don't understand this illness, I

trust that my Heavenly Father does.

I'm tempted to say, "This isn't fair. Why does

my mom have to have cancer."

But then I think of the number of people that don't have

a mother that they love so much. The people that

don't have all of the happy memories that

I do. I think of the time that God is giving us.

The time that He is allowing for me

to hold my mom. The time He's given me to tell her

that she matters. That her life changed mine. That

she inspires me. I have the privilege of

making memories with my mom.

I hope that as my children grow, they will

see me as I see my mom. They will share the happy

memories with me that I share with my own mom.

I hope that God will give me lots

of time with my mom. I do know that if her

time on earth is shorter than I would like,

I will meet her again, in Heaven.

For that, I am grateful.