Celebrating Mom

   My mother celebrated her 81st birthday yesterday.  Life is filled with celebratory days and holidays, even to the point of contriving them for the sake of capitalistic gain (what?  You think Bosses Day and Sweetest Day and Favorite Second Cousin's Day are actually ordained by God?  I think not.)  But unlike other holidays, I like birthdays because for one day we do not celebrate an event or a role, but a person.  My mom celebrated her way while in Florida with her sister: went birdwatching, had a hamburger, and played some cards.
   When a person reflects on the word "mother," one can get nostalgic and with good reason.  For me, the word indicates a role that has been and can be only filled by one person, and even though the role is often filled imperfectly,  the nostalgia of it all is forgiving and endearing.  In 1 Corinthians 13, love is described this way: "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres" (1 Corinthians 13:7).  I think that "love" and "motherhood" are quite synonymous.
   Why do I mention all of this?  I spoke to my mom yesterday and she asked me how I was doing.  I told her that this round of chemo seems to have taken away the appetite for anything for a longer time period than the other rounds.  I told her I was a little frustrated with how slow I was recovering and how much more I had to go.  She listened, and I could tell that while she was thinking of something encouraging to say, there was nothing insightful that could be said.  But I know she needed to know.  Always protects...always hopes.
   When one is going through hard things, it is good to have a mother around.