Remembering My Mother on Mother's Day

Redondo Beach, California

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Happy Mother's Day to you!  Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday with their moms!  As for me, I will be spending the day in memoriam of my mother.  She was the woman who inspired me to be creative.  When I was a little girl, I remember crafting with my brother during our summers outside on our art bench, being involved in musicals, dance classes and watching her paint and draw.  She introduced us to all sorts of different kinds of art.  This taught me at a very young age to think "outside the box" and to "create something from nothing".  

Here are some things I remember about my mother...

Her favorite color was blue.

She was always upbeat and positive.

She taught me to appreciate art and to value education.

She taught me what it meant to be diligent.

She surfed longboards in Redondo Beach :)

She was energetic and outgoing.

My friends liked her.

She liked to shop.

She was practical.

She mostly wore pants, not dresses.

She never wore make-up.

She enjoyed building or making things.

She never gave up on living!

My mother survived breast cancer for 21 years!  

When I was just 4 years old, she showed me her scar from her breast cancer surgery.  It was then that she had to explain to me that she had breast cancer.  Ever since then, I understood what death was and that it could become a reality for us.  As I got older, I realized that it wasn't easy for her to try to cram as much living as she possible could into her life while she still had it.  She was a fighter.  She smiled through her pain and never lost hope.  Even with this debilitating disease, she continued to "live" when she could have easily let herself become depressed.  Watching her live even through the recurance of cancer at five different times, has inspired me to live my life to the fullest, even when it gets difficult.  This experience made me realize that life is a gift, and it is short.  There is no time like the present.  If there is something you want to do or need to do, it is best to start doing it today because you never know what tomorrow may bring.  

Always remember to look for your joy!

XO Joanna