(Mom on her 93rd birthday)
On June 12th our family came together in Fresno to celebrate the 93 years of Mom’s life. On June 13, 1918 in Sayre, OK, our Mom made her entry into this world. Think about it, not that many families can gather together to celebrate 93 years of a parent’s life!
Nevertheless, that is just what we did. All of my siblings, most of our children, a couple of cousins, and some friends gathered for some good food, great stories, fellowship, and just had a wonderful afternoon.
We had good eats. There was 29 lbs of succulent Tri-Tip, skillfully grilled by the “Grill-master”, my brother Jerry. My sister and two sisters-in-law whipped up their magic in the kitchen with some great side dishes that accompanied the Tri-Tip.
After everyone consumed their fill of the absolutely delicious food that was on hand for the occasion, my nephew, Scott, set up his equipment to show the video he had compiled for this event. The video, accompanied with very cool audio, included pictures that encompassed the 77 years since our parents first married in 1934.
The video included pictures of Mom and Dad, both from their early years, good times and bad, as well as a few pictures that spanned their almost 62 years of marriage, including the very last picture that I took of Mom and Dad together. The picture was part of a day trip up to Mt. Evans, when I lived in Colorado. That particular picture of Mom and Dad was taken with the backdrop of golden aspen leaves and the strikingly beautiful blue spruce, as well as the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains.
That photograph will forever be etched in my memory bank!
Scott also included various pictures of all five of us kids at different times in our lives, in conjunction with early family pictures. Some of those pictures in the video were both sentimental and humorous, it also reflected the wackiness and struggles our early beginnings.
For me, the video was a very reflective and an emotional stroll down the street that we all know very well, Memory Lane! It reminded me of just how far the five of us children have come on our own life’s journey! Our father would be very proud of how his children turned out, I do believe.
The family gathering was a simply wonderful afternoon of celebration for Mom’s 93rd birthday. I am not sure who enjoyed the day more, Mom or all the rest of the family! But rest assured, it was an afternoon that we all will remember forever!
It was, after all, a celebration of life, and a time to honor our Mom. It was a very special day in my life!
As a side note, how many parents live long enough to see all of their children retire? Well Mom has done just that!
Mom you can rest easy. Your job is finally done!
We all made it!