89 years young

Today my mother will be 89 years old.  Here is a picture of her at 16 - her senior year of high school in Houston, about to be married:

 

She is a gardener and quilt-maker, and a creative cook.  She loves to hand write letters, read books, and play dominoes.  She wears a lot of gold jewelry but no makeup.  And she still drives her truck and does her own shopping.  She has a dog, Gus, who is her constant companion.   She has gone through two rounds of corneal transplants and several broken bones but she's still kicking. Her health seems to be good.  I always think to myself  "however long my mother lives is probably how long I will, too", God willing.

 She has chickens...

 

 ...and she eats well from her garden. 

 

 She is financially secure.

And I hope I can see her very soon to check in on her, maybe take her a birthday pie and a nice lunch, and spend some time with her.  Lately I have felt like our time together is growing short and is makes me cry to think I will lose her someday. She wasn't an overly affectionate mom, but she cared for us, sewed our clothes, managed a household and its finances, kept us alive, and sent me to college.  And I know that she loves me not because of all of that, but because she always tells me so.  So I want to be sure I let her know that I appreciate her and wish for her many more happy days in her garden.