Happy Birthday Mom & Dad 🎂

Frank and Janie

“Put your phone down!”  My mom doesn’t have a smart phone like the rest of us. She still has her flip phone that she doesn’t hear when the ringer goes off.  She hates when we are on our phones at the table and yells at us when we try to take a picture of her.

I took this one last week because she looked so good.  She would disagree and yell at me for posting it.

My sister Denise and I took them dinner down to celebrate their birthdays.  After dinner we played a few rounds of 500 bid. Mom loves to play cards so that was our present to her. Dad hates to play so our present to him was to let him partner with Denise and win.😂

My mom always told me things come in threes…babies, joys, deaths. November holds a three-day run that I will always remember.

Working backwards…

November 5th – My Dad was born this day, he is three years younger than my Mom. She didn’t know this until they were applying for their marriage license (seems like something you should ask before that point).  She would have yelled at us if we went out on a date with someone who we didn’t know their age let alone agree to marry them!

November 4th – Mom showed her face into the world – 81 years ago this month. She was born right in the living room of her parent’s house. My grandparents had 11 children and in the 30’s this was a common place to bear your children.

November 3rd – My Maternal Grandmother died this day when I was six years old. I remember that day like it was yesterday. Mom sat in the green chair of our green living room with her head back and her eyes closed. I didn’t see her crying and I kept asking her if I could play with a friend. She said, “not today honey”.  I wished she would have told me about her pain, I would have sat with her.  I didn’t understand it then, but I do now. What a terrible thing to go through the day before your birthday.

Each year I secretly celebrate life and death during these three days. The incredible lives of my parents and the death of my beautiful grandmother who showed only love and kindness to me and others in the short six years I knew her.

Last night Denise and I sat around the table playing cards with Mom and Dad. I picked up my phone to snap a quick picture. I also thought it was a bit funny that they were both dressed in black. When I showed the picture to my boys this morning, I told them that Gram and Pap were dressed like ninjas. Aiden laughed and said they probably weren’t as fast as ninjas anymore. I agreed but thought to myself they may not be as quick physically as they used to be, but their minds are still sharp. They are blessed.

As always Mom yelled, and Dad ignored me when I told him to look up. Denise told them they better look because I would probably post it anyway.

She was right;)

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad and Happy Birthday of your arrival in heaven Grandma.