I took the pictures of the photos in this post a few weeks ago. I was fine, even kind of methodical, going through the box of pics, looking for the happiest smiles.
However, when I sat down to start this post, I was looking through the pictures in my phone’s gallery and started sobbing.
Just a bonus lesson in grief, I guess…
Here’s how it started: The Mom didn’t particularly like having her picture taken. She’d tolerate it but you could tell she wasn’t comfortable with cameras. So, when I was looking through the photographs I brought home from my mother’s apartment, I noticed that her biggest smiles and uninhibited camera engagement were when she was traveling.
Usually she booked tours, where everything was done for her, from the meals to the itinerary to the transportation. All she had to do was get to the airport, meet up with the group and enjoy herself. My introverted mother made friends all over the world as she got to see all the sights on her bucket list.
Here are the happiest samples:
Olympic Stadium, Athens
Lucerne, Switzerland
Also Lucerne
Aruba
Sydney, Australia
One of her nametags
Picture not marked but she looks like she’s having fun!
Fiji
Paris, France
Pisa, Italy
One of her Alaska adventures
Sydney Harbor
And finally, one of my favorite pictures of The Mom. The Husband and I took her to Tuscon, Arizona years ago and here she is inside a hummingbird enclosure. Look really closely or expand the picture to see the hummingbird hovering to her right! I suppose this is why hummingbirds remind me so much of her.
So, if there’s something you want to do or some place you want to go, follow my mother’s example and just do it! She never regretted one penny she spent on travel ~ so whether it’s money or time you’d be investing in your dreams, know that you get that back tenfold and leave this planet with no regrets, just like The Mom.
Writing has always been in my DNA. Lately, though, I’ve let my writing lapse and as I’m getting to that point when I have fewer birthdays in my future than I’ve had in my past, I need to get writing and this blog will help prime the pump. That being said, I’ve never been someone who could settle on one specialty. When I made jewelry, I dabbled in beads, wire, charms -- necklaces, bracelets, earrings -- jewel tones, pastels, metals. And so it goes with writing. It’s not in my nature to make this blog about anything in particular. To quote Forrest Gump, “You never know what you’re gonna get.” A review one day, a rant the next -- travel logs, general observations -- things that make me crazy and things that keep me sane. Thanks for participating in this grand scheme to get Gray Mare writing as fast as she can!
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One thought on “Lessons in Grief – Part 4”
Mary, This is a beautiful tribute to your mom. I’m happy for her that she got to travel and enjoy so many wonderful places. These are beautiful pictures!! She was bright and kept an open mind in her life travels. An inspiration for us. Gay
(I just finished reading: Salt to the Sea. Very good historical fiction)
Mary, This is a beautiful tribute to your mom. I’m happy for her that she got to travel and enjoy so many wonderful places. These are beautiful pictures!! She was bright and kept an open mind in her life travels. An inspiration for us. Gay
(I just finished reading: Salt to the Sea. Very good historical fiction)
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