My mom doesn’t come up often here on my blog because she lives on the other side of the country and she’s not involved in my everyday life. She’s still in Ohio. I’m in Texas. I usually fly home once or twice a year but it’s NOT enough. I wish I could go home more. I miss my mom a lot when I don’t see her for long stretches. It’s been a year since I went home last. I’m going for Thanksgiving and I can’t wait.

My mom is probably the nicest person on Earth. She got married when she was 20 and had me at 23. 19 months later she had my sister and 5 years after that my baby sister came along. 3 girls. I’ve blogged a few times about my dad and his alcohol addiction. She ended up divorcing him because of it…a  move I favored because I was 15 at the time and sick of his games and drinking. I had had it. I WANTED them to get a divorce. I was happy when they did. My mom busted her ass for years. She was a nurse at a nursing home. She worked 8 hours a day on her feet…drove all over town to take all of us girls where we needed to be for sports or to see our friends. Since my dad’s addiction kept him from working, she was the sole provider for us 3 girls. The school district in Cleveland sucks so she had is all in private school from day 1 til we graduated high school. That’s 13 years for 3 kids. When I was 14 my mom was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis). That’s when her whole life flipped upside down. She didn’t talk much about it with us. I think she tried to be strong and shelter us. But I can only imagine how devastated and lost she was when she realized she had a non curable, debilitating disease while she’s the only one working and a house to pay for and 3 kids to support. I think about how I’d feel about that NOW and I have a great husband…it kills me. I don’t know how my mom did it. I honestly don’t. But she did. People donated money and time. Her father helped us financially when he could. Everyone pulled together for this great woman who was just trying to make it and do right by her kids. Me. Her child. In the past 14 years her disease has become very crippling. She’s been in a wheelchair for about 10 years. She’s not able to work. I moved away. One of my sisters isn’t around much to help her. The other one has a child and is pretty busy herself. It’s just not a good situation for her up there and yet she refuses to move closer to me. I’ve begged her. She’s said no a million times. So I’ve quit asking.

MS has robbed my mom of so much. And yet her faith in God is so strong. If you ask her, she will tell you that MS has been a blessing in disguise because she has gotten so much closer to God because of it and the disease has forced her to have more faith and read her Bible more. Talk about someone who always sees the silver lining.

I admire my mom so much. She’s someone I aspire to be like daily. She’s the epitome of class, strength, and love. 42 days until I see her. I can’t wait.

*I have a button on my sidebar for the MS society. Take time to check out their site and maybe even donate to help find a cure for my mom.

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