Remembering On Livestrong Day

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Today is a very special day. A day that unites us. A day for remembrance. A day for hope.

Each of our lives has been touched by cancer. Many have suffered. Some have lost.

Today Glogirly and I would like to dedicate our blog to all of our friends and family that we have lost and those that continue to fight for life in the battle against cancer. We've flipped the switch to YELLOW in their honor.

When we look back and remember, our hearts fill with joy, yet our eyes fill with tears. We're reminded that joy and sorrow live together.  One without the other, well life just doesn't work that way.

Glogirly's mother, in the arms of her oldest sister, Gladys. Both taken by cancer too young.

Sisters Harriet and Elaine, also no longer with us.

This passage comforted Glogirly when she lost her mother and her aunt to cancer. It comforts her today.

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater thar sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits, alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.  

~Kahlil Gribran, On Joy and Sorrow

Visit Livestrong.org here.

Three Generations

Three Generations of Katie - Katie, Glogirly & Glogirly's Mom

Hi everyone, Katie here.

I know, I know...Glogirly is and will always be my 'Girl.'  But today, she's the closest thning I have to a mom.  This one's for you, GG.

Many of you were following along as I told the story of Glogirly's search for her birth family. But if you're new here and would like a good Mother's Day read...you'll want to check out Another Mother.

Here's all you'll need:

1. comfy chair

2. pot of tea

3. box of kleenex 

4. at least one cat

Everyone has a mother and everyone is like a mother to someone. 

Happy Mother's Day to each and every one of you.  

(Yes, this is one of the FEW days of the year I leave my sarcasm UTB.)

Christmas Countdown - 5 Days Left

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Welcome back to the countdown! Five days left.

Glogirly caught me dreaming of catnip and feathers...and had to again remind me that this thing we call Christmas is about much more than intoxicating plants and shiny toys. This week, we're continuing to reflect on the people that have influenced us. Friends and family that have made our own little world a better place.

Today I want to tell you about Glogirly's mom. If you've read Another Mother, you've had a chance to get to know Alice, her birthmother. But you probably don't know much about her REAL mom, her adoptive mom.

Young Glogirly and her Mom

24 years ago Glogirly lost her mom. When Glogirly turned 48 this year she realized that she'd lived as many years with her mom as she has lived without her. I never knew her mom. That would of course make me 169 in people years. But I've seen photos and heard stories. I can tell she was a one-of-a-kind lady loved by many, especially her daughter. I also understand she was more of a dog person.

I'm going to let that one slide. For now.

Glogirly's Mom with Blackie the dog

When Glogirly was a teenager she used to get really mad when someone said she was growing up to be just like her mom. Now it's the best compliment she could receive.

Her mom was old fashioned and modern all at the same time.

She was a lady. She taught Glogirly how to set a table and how to write a thank you note. She opened her home to friends and family. Christmastime was huge and the two of them loved decorating the house and planning the big holiday dinner. They baked together, snuck tastes of cookies together, and never left a bowl unlicked.

Doing Dishes

Glogirly's mom was also a modern woman. She was the first of her sisters to have a career. She balanced work and family with remarkable finesse. She handled the household finances, helped Young Glogirly with homework, and cooked yummy suppers for the family every night.

Education was important to her. Glogirly's mom would rarely admit it, but she never finished high school. In fact, she only made it through the eighth grade. But Glogirly's mom was a very smart and intelligent woman. When Glogirly was struggling with math in second grade, her mom took a class to learn how to teach Glogirly. She worked with her on fractions each night after school. Glogirly's second grade teacher didn't have faith. She said Glogirly wasn't smart enough and didn't work hard enough. After second grade, Glogirly excelled in math. By the time she was in high school she was three years ahead of her classmates in math.

Glogirly's mom was smart alright. In math and much, much more.

24 years without her mom is a long time. She used to worry that she'd forget her. That has never happened. Never will.

Glogirly's Mom