If you ask me if I am like my mother I would tell you no. Her name was Dorothy Jane Cooper Greenway. She was a caregiver and a lifetime homemaker. I am a professional and work in an office away from my home. But those are only superficial differences. My mother was a strong and determined woman. She battled numerous physical ailments and was in a wheel chair for many years. She gifted us with the realization that nothing was unattainable if we worked hard enough. She would listen carefully and value your opinion right before she convinced you she was right and you were wrong. From my mother I learned to be a diplomat.

Mom was also a peacemaker, doing what she could to keep everyone happy. She gifted us with a talent for mediation.

Today is the day I say goodbye to my mother. I’m really glad she isn’t suffering, but selfishly I still want her to be at the end of the phone when I call.
As I sat in the floor this morning, scrubbing baseboards at 5:00 AM I reflected on my mother. I want the house to be clean for everyone coming to celebrate her life. I believe perhaps I am like my mother in many ways and for that I’m extremely grateful.