100 Years...

My Mother would have been 100 years old this week. Her career came first, but as the youngest daughter in an Italian family, she was expected to care for her Mom and her disabled brother. She married late in life compared to her friends, and she was a new Mom at 40. She was one of a kind, not a wallflower, with her quick wit and sense of humor. When I was in my 30s, she cared for my children so I could build a career. At 84, her life was cut short when her lung cancer metastasized to her brain. She never got to meet my sister's boys or my beautiful grandchildren, but as I got older, I realized her spirit and values were part of us. Though my dad forced my sister and me to finish college so we could be independent, our independent Mom was the role model. As I get older, I now see how she was the driving force behind raising successful people. She never gave up, she would never give in, and everything was possible. The world is much better when you're blessed with a fantastic Mother. She is the twinkle in my grandson's eyes and the NO in my granddaughter's voice. Her legacy lives on.