My Mom

March 19, 2023. Hello everyone! I am thrilled to share some wonderful news with you today! As many of you know, we have been sharing updates about my amazing mother, Eloise, on my blog for over 8 years now. And today, on her 92nd birthday, I am filled with joy and gratitude as I reflect on all the beautiful memories we have made together as a family. Through it all, my mother’s unwavering leadership and sharp mind have been a source of strength and inspiration for us all.

We have celebrated the births of more great-grandchildren, witnessed some incredible weddings, with two more coming this year, and marked many more milestones since that first blog post. And as we look to the future, we know that we have so much more to celebrate together as a family. That’s why we are planning an epic house party in honor of my mother – a celebration of her incredible life and the many blessings she has brought into all of our lives.

So, I raise a glass to my amazing mother, Eloise, and all the joy and love she brings to our family. Cheers to many more years of happiness and celebration, Mom. We all love you.

As we wind down 2015, I was at my parents’ the other night reminiscing about the year with my mother Eloise. I’ve been fortunate to be able to spend some quality time with her lately. I was thinking about all my friends and the one common link we all have. We often talk about our mothers. Some lost their moms early, some midstream, and some of us are still fortunate to have them in our lives. Living or deceased, who doesn’t enjoy talking about their mom in mixed company?

Mom has ten great-grandkids as of 1.1.2023, and my granddaughter Eloise is named after her. I happened to be there when my daughter told my mom what she was having and what they’d be naming her. That was a magical moment that I’ll cherish forever. As she cares for my dad, we’ve been enjoying talking about many things in our lives. She used to love watching Norm and me play gin rummy, and occasionally I’d pick a lucky card and win.

She’s had some great accomplishments in her life: number one in her class in nursing school, a skilled nurse, a lifetime accountant for the family Courier Express route, six healthy children, 18 grandkids, ten great-grandkids, a husband who always knew the difference between right and wrong, a hole in one, attended a Super Bowl, and sound relationships with all of her daughters-in-law and son-in-law.

Twelve years ago, we celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and what a party it was, with that monstrous-size family of theirs. Twelve years later, they are still going strong, and Norman appreciates all she does for him. I made a choice not to move away 26 years ago, and as I look back at the life we’ve enjoyed in Buffalo, I’d say that was a pretty wise move.

Mom retired from nursing at age 75, and the caregiver in her has held strong for all of us. My family often wonders how many term papers she typed, how many cab rides she took us to the doctor, and how many times she walked to the grocery store.

I often tell her how much I love what I do, and she told me her dad retired from farming at age 93. That gives me hope for the next 27 years, and I hope to be as prosperous and successful as he was.

We spent many years traveling back to the family farm in Ohio, and those are memories we’ll all cherish forever. In the world of lavish vacations and social media, I wouldn’t trade those family farm vacations for anything.