This post is an anticlimax of sorts. I have devoted this week to reliving memories of my Mom and sharing them with the world. The picture above is my favorite Janice pic of all time. Notice the "Ms. Thang" pose and the big old question mark on her dance costume. It is the essence of who she is as a woman and a mother.

I asked her today if she had enjoyed her Mother's Day blogs. With her typical devotion to Daddy, she said " Well, you know, I was never a superMOM. Your daddy helped with EVERYTHING." That was beside the point....it's Mother's Day eve eve.
Daddy will have his day.

Someone once said to me "As long as you are alive, your parents will live through you." That's a very inspiring thought to me, and one that makes me want to do my best to make them proud. I am so much like my Mama in many many ways that bless my life and the lives of others. I love to cook, and she has taught me well with the experience of generations before her. We cry easily when touched in the right spot, or when we're really mad or tired. That's a blessing in my book...to be able to experience the release of what is bugging you and move onto the joy of the next smile.

She showed me the joy of reading and of writing your thoughts. She has always held me accountable for my actions and stuck with me while I struggled to reconcile who I am with who I am not. She gives me a ride when my car is occupied and shares the humor of her day with me. She will go out of her way to make someone...ANYONE...feel special. Her devotion to serving others is an inspiration for me. Whenever I pay it forward, it's because of the example that she and Daddy have set for me with their "good steward" approach to life.

I see my Mother in me on a daily basis, and also in my daughter. And that. Well. That is a legacy worth celebrating.

I *heart* you Mom.

Keep the faith. ^j^