It is hard to believe that it has been over thirty years since I have been able to celebrate Mother’s Day in person with Mom, who is also my best friend.  That breaks my heart even to this day, and there is a void in my soul that will never go away, although I do not focus on it as much as I did years ago. 

One important lesson that I have learned over the years is that this journey called life is full of many twists and turns.  Some of these lead to exciting life changing experiences that I have anticipated for years, such as my recent retirement, while others are ones that I could have done without, such as Mom’s death and the loss of other very important people in my life.