My mom is going in for a fifth surgery and all she asked for were new PJ’s.

Done 🙂 with bubbles to boot.

Over the last few years, she’s been poked, prodded, cut, stapled, glued and now for the first time she’s reviewing her life when I visit.

She shared regrets and successes, her love of my dad, high-heeled shoes, diamonds, feather boa’s, poodles and the beauty shop.

When I was ready to leave we hugged and she said, “Promise me, my sweet girl, that you’ll cherish yourself and find happiness everyday because that’s all there is.”

Still hugging … when did my 80-year-old mother become a spiritual being?

I promised her, fingers crossed, realizing that although I practice that philosophy everyday, I know full well that I haven’t mastered it yet.

When we finally let go of the hug, she looked up at me and quoted Hillel the Elder verbatim … “If I am not for myself who is for me? And being for my own self, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?

I’ll admit to being a little shocked, considering that this quote was coming from a woman who never opened a book.

I kissed the top of her pink baseball cap, got into my car and the paradigm sifted.

It seems that I have a lot or very little to do. 😉

Here’s to better days ahead!  Happy New Year!