With Mother's Day coming up this weekend I have been thinking a lot about my mom and Tommy's mom. Ivy and Rosalia... two of the truly finest women I've ever known. I learned so much from these two ladies. Neither one was your frilly sort of June Cleaver mom. They were real women who lived through incredible times in history, loved their children unconditionally and raised then to care for others, adored their husbands and let them know it.
Unfortunately they shared something else with both of them dying from cancer. But even in that they were valiant and their only thoughts were of their family.It is no wonder that they liked each other too. When Tommy and I got married our families were part of the package. Our parents, who didn't know each other before became friends and enjoyed going to Tahoe and on camping trips together. My mother adored Tommy and considered him her son and I felt that Rosalia thought of me as a daughter.
Even though it has been almost four years since they passed away, I still have those moments when something happens and I have a fleeting thought that I need to call one or the other of them and tell them. Their absence is felt when our family gathers but at the same time so is their presence.
If I can be half the mother, mother-in-law and grandmother these two were, I will consider my life a success and I will owe it all to Ivy and Rosalia.
(Pictures at the top are my mom and the ones at the bottom are Rosalia)
