Worth more than gold....

My mom was an amazing woman.  She loved people and loved to talk to them.  She would always slow down when in public and smile at people and greeted them with a cheery, "hello".  She  always came home knowing new friends and stories of their lives.  She was generous, kind, non-judgemental, warm and loving and kept confidences.  Truly, making people feel loved and important was one of her special gifts.  Last year (while in her early 70's)  after a lengthy and difficult illness, she was diagnosed with cancer and was given a diagnosis of just two months left to live.   Up until that point, the doctors were unable to figure out what was wrong with her.   

During the entire process of her deteriorating health, my mom was blessed with wonderful friends who were so truly  wonderful to her.  People would bring her meals, cards, books and flowers.  They would call and visit and pray for her.  As a family, we were so  grateful for all of these special acts of kindness.   It was so touching to see people who took time out of their busy and sometimes just as difficult lives to reach out and help bring sunshine to dark and dreary days.  It amazed me to see the worth of these acts of love and how much it influenced each of us and filled us with so much gratitude for loving support. 

It reminded me of how important it is, regardless of our financial circumstances, to take time to reach out and touch the lives of others.  It's so easy to say, I'll do nice things for others when I have more time, or more money, when I'm not tired or circumstances are better...but don't wait.  We can never know how our support and love can mean to someone who is struggling or just needs a friend.  There are people all around us in need of love and kindness.  Something money truly cannot buy.

Almost two and a half months after the diagnosis, my mom passed away.   It was and has been a hard time for all of us, but we are so grateful for her and her loving influence. We wish she was still here, but we are thankful that she is no longer in pain.  Something that I think is really special is that she had a little primrose garden that she always took care of and nurtured and loved, just like the people in her life.   I took a picture of it last summer.  Some of you might know that primroses are a perennial, which means that they return each year. What a special gift.  Its a reminder that the good things you do come back, and continue to  bless the lives of others.