Happy Friday, Sweet Shoppers! Lex here, and I’m going to get a bit sentimental as today is a special day for me and my family. Today is my mama’s birthday, and she would’ve been 65 this year. About a month ago I was reorganizing a box of miscellaneous files I’d found. I found this envelope addressed to me in my mom’s handwriting. When my mom was diagnosed, she immediately got started writing TONS of love notes to friends, relatives, and my family members. For my dad she actually left an entire notebook full of letters and notes. When I got mine, I remember shoving the card inside some random folder of my stuff after. I was too angry and sad to look at it for very long.

Frame from All Warm Inside by Misty Cato

Fast-forward to the moment I was rereading it, and I had started bawling and laughing at the same time. In that short card my mom had simultaneously told me she loved me, left me instructions on some important life matters (such as who to ask to be godparents to my then-future wedding), and apologized for not being the best mom. It was so her, and I ended up with a severe case of Missing Her. I ended up calling my family and having a spontaneous lunch with them later that week. Quite a feat because I’m the least spontaneous person I know!

Today, I can’t visit her crypt because of some deadlines to meet. But today I remember her amazing and beautiful spirit. I remember her fiery temper and gentle touch. She was Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny. She was Nenuco cologne and warm snuggles in bed. She chased the bad dreams away with a kiss on my forehead. She cooked an awesome paella and spaghetti sauce that to this day, neither my sister nor I can replicate. (We do, however, have her pancake recipe!) Up until the end of her life, she was nothing but willing to share her love and faith. She had unwavering faith in whatever was going to happen next to her. She was laughter and light, and I can only pray to be a little bitty bit of the woman she was.

One of the BEST things I love about the digi community, and THIS community, is that most are mothers. A lot of times I felt a little lost without mine–I wish I could talk to her about my husband or keeping house or everything in between. When I discovered digiscrapping it was a little bit like I had rediscovered my mom, because now I have SO many moms to talk with and ask advice from. So, in a way, today is also a great big THANK YOU from me 🙂

I scrapped a page about my mom using lyrics from a song I always associate with her–“For Good,” from Wicked the musical. Thanks for reading this and sharing in remembering my mama today! 🙂

Using Tell Me About Mom by Traci Reed and Meghan Mullens,