My mother's 85th Birthday Party!

My mother turned 85 on November 18.  On Saturday, the 20th, we had an “Open House” in her honor at ReNae's.  It was jammed.  People came from all over the country, and stayed.  They didn't just drop in and say hi, they stayed and chatted...for a long time.  It was wonderful. 

My nephew Taylor, played an incredible rendition of Rachmaninoff and a birthday melody (which was incredible on its own, but I'll take Taylor's word for it would have been better as a duet with Greg on the other piano).

On the Eve of the new century, I was at Albertson's with Kelly.  We were buying our party materials for that evening: yummy bubbly cider, nuts & candy to munch on while we romped in the hot tub and played board games with the boys.

A woman with a cane came up to Kelly and touched her arm.  The woman wasn't old, she'd had some health issues, I think a stroke or something.  The woman wished Kelly a Happy New Year, and softly said, “I wish my life was as easy as yours.”

Kelly turned, and with a gentle profoundness said, “Your suffering is more obvious for us to see, but we all have our own crosses, we all suffer.  Believe me, we all have pain.”

Kelly blinked back tears.  I quietly slipped down the aisle.

From outside appearances, Kelly's life is perfect.  She's beautiful, with a loving family, beautiful home, and all that.  I know a sliver of her challenges.

I know much more of my own mother's.

From the outside, my mother has lived the “American Dream.”  Her life has spanned a young immigrant family in the USA in the throes of the depression, a colossal world war when her own parents didn't know what was happening with their own loved ones in Nazi occupied Norway, to providing her own way through college in Minnesota, to building her own family that for all appearances was a storybook ending. Which was just the beginning of more quiet struggles when she questioned if life was even worth living.

My cousin, Larry, sent my mother a card for her 85th birthday commending her on what an achievement it was to live to be 85.  Typical of my mother, she laughed and said, “It wasn't an achievement, I just kept on breathing and getting out of bed each morning.”

That is the achievement.  There are so many other choices one can choose.  I am so glad she chose life, and trying to live each day to the fullest—or at least to the best of her abilities.

Here's to my mother, and thank you for choosing life.  Here are a few pictures of her party: 

Cindy let the kids stay up late, and chat with great-grandma from London!

Here is my mom and ReNae, with the 3 cakes all inscribed:  "Happy Birthday Norma!"

After Taylor played his special "Happy Birthday Melody" my mom gave him a big hug.  I glanced at my mom several times while he was playing, and her eyes were very teary.  It was beautiful.

Here is my mom with one of her great-granddaughter's, Alyssa.

There are over 200 more on my Dropbox account.  If you want the to download them, drop me a note and I'll share the folder with you.