Happy Homecoming Day!

Happy Homecoming Day Everyone!

It may seem a little early for the traditional Homecomings we may celebrate during football season, but last year August 10th was marked as a significant day in our lives when my Mom lost her battle with cancer, but won her race to Jesus. It was just about now one year ago that we were awakened by our phone ringing and I was asked to come over to help calm down Mom. Moments after arriving she breathed her last a slipped peacefully into that hoped for unknown we Christians call Eternity.

While I never really appreciated it when she was here Mom was quite the celebrator. Just about any special occasion on the calendar was celebrated. Everything from Halloween to Valentines Day to the first day of school was a day she felt was made to remember. I always thought every kid got homemade fudge and a card from their parents on Valentines Day, and that everyone’s Mom spent tireless hours making the best Halloween costume that Southern Elementary had ever seen (I was a Storm Trooper in second grade and childhood friend Todd Ratliff still recalls it to be a costume to be envied). It wasn’t until I had my own children that I realized what a chore it was to fix breakfast in bed for my kids on their birthday. And it may speak to my laziness as to why that tradition hasn’t carried over. Mom never seemed to complain about how difficult it was for her.

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This picture was taken on her last birthday on planet Earth. As I remember it we struggled to find a time to get together for it and settled for a lunch date and she was glad to have it. While I think she knew, little did we know what was on the horizon 33 days later.

While I know today will be filled with emotion and some grief as I reflect on her physical absence during the most significant year of my family’s life. I know without a doubt that she would desire we celebrate that she hasn’t missed a thing and more than likely has enjoyed it far more than if she were still here. That’s one thing she definitely passed along. Something or someone is worth celebrating just about every day. Thank God she loved Jesus! Thank God Jesus loves her!

I miss ya Mom, but I can’t wait to see what kind of celebration it will be when I see you again.