Tomorrow will be the 6th anniversary of my mom's death. It's truly amazing how quickly the time has gone and how much has changed in my life.
1) I'm now an uncle to 5 nieces and nephews; a godfather to 1
2) I'm part owner of an LLC which owns 6 rental houses
3) Have earned more responsibility and exciting opportunities at work
4) Very involved with my church in the choir, bell choir, Vestry (governing body), stewardship, webpage, and renovating a 100 year old house
5) Seen my dad regain happiness when he married a new, wonderful lady
6) Added some new, dear friends to my list of people most dear to me
7) And most importantly, truly happy 99% of the time!
Two of my closest, most important friends took me to dinner tonight at a Mexican restaurant, as is our yearly custom, where we raised a glass to her memory. Mom loved Mexican food and passed that onto me, so I can think of no better way to remember her in early October. It was a beautiful evening and we dined al fresco with their 3 children making us laugh the whole time. We even indulged in making mustaches out of whipped cream! The mood very much matched how I felt 6 years ago today when I last saw Mom alive, in the O'Hare airport. I have no doubt she was somewhere smiling at me tonight and marveling, just like me, at how far I've come in 6 short years!
© 2011, copyright Chris Odom
