Back-to-back celebrations. Mother’s Day and Lydia’s 14th birthday. Of course, Sunday was Mother’s Day, and Monday was my lovely daughter Lydia’s 14th birthday. This will have been the second time I have celebrated both of these momentous occasions since my stroke, but the first time that they fell on consecutive days. I of posted my thoughts on Facebook, like most people do. But I also sent messages to each of the ladies, to show them the love and gratitude I had for them personally. There were the usual phone calls to each of them of course. But they received no visits from anyone, which upset me, but like the troopers that they are, they displayed no disappointment. Both were special days of their lives, which certainly warranted more than just phone calls in my opinion. Especially given that there was nowhere they could go because of me. Jonell pushed through Sunday and made great efforts in making Lydia’s birthday as special as she possibly could. She had ordered a special birthday cake which not only had the requisite birthday wish on it, but a picture of one of Lydia’s roosters on it, a picture that Lydia had taken herself. Jonell also had chosen several gifts for Lydia that we knew she wanted. Don’t get me wrong, Jonell said that she had a good day. But she would have also said that if she didn’t. There was just something in her eyes, that showed hurt. I think it’s because neither of our sons managed to come by, and given it was the day before their sister’s birthday, we’ll I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. They do have families and wives of their own. Anyway, as usual, Jen was there to give me my bath. But like the true friend she has become, she came bearing a gift bag for Lydia, along with a homemade birthday cake that her talented daughter Ashley had baked herself! Lydia was grateful for their gesture of kindness. But I was not at all surprised, as it was the type of person I knew that Jen and her family were. I sure will miss them. A few hours later, after Jen was through and had left, Jonell brought out the cake she had specially made for her birthday, and Lydia opened the gifts that Jonell had delivered. Though Lydia didn’t have a large number of people to help her celebrate the day, she seemed quite content with the quality of those she did get to spend it with and was pleased by all the birthday wishes she got through the Bedhead Bob Facebook page. All of you, contributed to what ended up being a pretty good day!
There’s no power like it on this earth
No treasure equal to its worth
The gift of a mother’s love
Thank you for every sunlit day
That filled the corners of my memory
Song by Jim Brickman
