Friday, November 30, 2007

Today is my mom's birthday. She is 60 years young today. I hope to be as wise and full of life as her when I reach her age. Every year that passes, I watch her get more enthused about life. I wonder how she keeps such a wonderful perspective on life, on a continuous basis.

My mother has always been an overachiever. She never had to tell us, all we needed to do was pay attention a little bit, and we could see her achievements all around. Never boastful, and always trying to encourage or help someone else, my mom sliced through the barriers of gender inequities in the 1990's. My mother's attributes of diligence, leadership, and kindness didn't hurt her efforts succeeding.

We sometimes get so consumed in our own endeavours, that we fail to look around. There are tons of people all around us struggling to achieve in the very manner that we are trying to achieve. My mom is omniscient enough to notice her struggles in others, and not only notice their struggles, but assist them in conquering their struggles.

Its very humbling to be stopped when out and about by the people whom my mom has had an impact. Her having such a profound impact in so many lives makes me reflect in my everyday life to make sure that I attempt to replicate her sincere efforts to humanize people no matter their walk or my own.

Invaluable is a child with moral and high character parents. In saying that, by no means is my mom perfect, but her willingness to share her imperfections is one of her greatest qualities. As I mature, I begin to understand that our imperfections and mistakes are our greatest assets. Through those trials and tribulations, you have to learn how to overcome and correct. That experience prepares you to hopefully deal with the next obstacle in a better way, hopefully with less mistakes.

My mom and I were separated, for all intents and purposes, when my parents chose to divorce when I was twelve. In order to survive emotionally, I feel my mom had to 'let me grow up' when I chose to live with my father after their divorce. In that process, she missed part of my childhood that won't come back. I too, missed out as an adolescent by not having a consistent motherly figure during my development of understanding how to deal with women. Our relationship puttered during those years only to rekindle once I matured enough to embrace the freedom's she allowed me to self discover.

Today, my mom and I find ourselves in a cosmic irony, but spiritually justified position. With her recent marriage, she finds herself raising a twelve year old. I am eager to watch her to learn as I did as a child, but only from the eyes of a father now. I missed valuable lessons of patience and divine wisdom from my mother after my parents divorced, and now I get the chance to look back in time as I watch her interaction with my new step-brother. The lessons that I missed back then can hopefully be recaptured now to implement in the rearing of my mom's grandchildren.

Isn't life mysteriously grand when the seemingly lost treasures from my childhood reappear for me to relish and enjoy there splendor.

Happy 60th Birthday Mom, I love you!

Trey Champagne

Introduction: November 2007