Today is my Mom’s 92nd Birthday and I’m up in New Hampshire celebrating her.  I’m wearing a caftan dress she sewed in the early 1970s.  

I was 4th of 5. She was married to my Father for 50 years until he died a month after September 11th, 2001. Now she’s married for eleven years to a wonderful man of 85, who had 6 great kids with another great woman. Up until a couple of years ago she was ballroom dancing regularly, and maintaining her gardens by personally lugging ten 10-pound-bags of mulch to add topsoil. Just a few years ago she lost a ring while up on a ladder cleaning roof gutters…she found it. 

Our Mom has been an inspiration to all who know her. She’s always been a reader, stayed active, eaten moderately and consumed little alcohol. She made our house a home. Refinishing furniture she’d find at yard sales— along with other treasures, she always found ways to make our home feel special. She drove a Chevy Bel Air with the stick shift on the column. She volunteered to sacrifice her life when she took me for a driving lesson in a stick VW Bug. The Hill moment is still very memorable for us both…

She embroidered and framed pictures that said: “Know Thyself” and “Today is a Gift.” There were times both those signs really annoyed me. She also made me babysit for 35 cents when the going rate was 50 cents an hour. She also drove me to those jobs. I had to collect money for all kinds of charities, too. Not by my altruistic choice. Our parents took us all church every Sunday. My Mom made most of the clothes I wore from elementary through High School.  

I could not have had a better Mom for me. She taught me lessons by example about love, commitment, patience, charity, taking care of oneself – as well as things and people new and old, focus on self-improvement vs. blame, forgiveness, recognizing that we all make mistakes, believing in God, visualizing the life you want and much more. The list is long and deep.

I didn’t always understand my Mother nor the lessons she imparted…but in retrospect, I’m so very grateful. I would requested her again — if such a request was possible.

Please join me in wishing Jane Griesel Lemoine a Happy 92th!  I’ll share this entire post and all your comments with her. She enjoys reading what you all have to say! 

I’m @DianGriesel aka @SilverDisobedience — the author of The Silver Disobedience Playbook and TurboCharged: The SilverDisobedience Edition (available at amazon!) ✨ I’m a Perception Analyst who shares my Daily Meditations for other Ageless, Passionate & Curious People.  Modeling info at Wilhelmina Models New York —other info in my bio & on my websites.